Truth and Justice – our collective healing journey

By SENATOR DORINDA COX

For many Australians, January 26 is marked as a day of national celebration, a time for barbecues, fireworks, and flag-waving.

But for First Nations people, this date represents something very different: it is a reminder of colonisation, dispossession, and the enduring struggles we face every day.

For most of us, it is not a day of unity but one of mourning, a painful reminder of the start of systemic injustices against my people.

It is not just history that makes this day difficult. The legacy of January 26 is interwoven into the fabric of our present disadvantage.

We live with intergenerational trauma caused by stolen land, stolen children, and stolen opportunities. First Nations Australians still face systemic inequities in education, health, and housing, and we die a decade earlier than other Australians.

Like Groundhog day, every year January 26 reminds us of how far there is to go to achieve true justice.

‘Sorry’ was supposed to mean that the healing would begin and that we could never repeat this again in our history. Sadly the ever increasing rise of divisive narratives means that if the ‘Trump nodders’ get into power this will return us to an era of legislative regime resulting in the increase of locking away our kids and punishing our people for the trauma created through colonisation.

This is already perpetuating a cycle where my people remain unhealed and these dire consequences impact on an entire generation of First Nations people – we can do better and we must.

Right now Australians can chart our safe and free democracy into a process with remarkable change to move us forward together. This way forward must begin with truth-telling. If we are to truly reconcile as a nation, we must first confront the uncomfortable truths of our shared history.

The Greens Let’s Fly the Flags for Truth and Justice campaign shows solidarity with First Nations peoples and that we will never accept Trump-style politics and engage in the culture wars.

Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags are recognised as national flags and are used to ensure we recognise, and respect, the sovereignty of First Peoples of Australia.

This is also why the Greens have introduced a Federal Truth and Justice Commission Bill.

A Federal Truth and Justice Commission would capture Australia’s collective history of pre-colonial, colonial and collective history, while moving towards healing and a pathway forward for Australia’s diverse and vibrant communities.

Truth-telling is not about guilt, it is about recognition and respect.

This work must go hand in hand with meaningful reforms. We must encourage self-determination in every level of government decision-making, ensuring that First Nations people have the power to shape policies that affect our communities. And we must reconsider the symbols that divide us, starting with the date of our national celebration.

Moving Australia Day to a date that includes all of us, without erasing anyone’s experience, is not just a symbolic gesture. I believe in a future where our nation celebrates not just survival, but our shared strength.

A future where January 26 is no longer a day of pain for some and joy for others, but a day when we all stand together and be proud of the journey we’ve taken to get there.

Together, let’s take this moment to not just look back at our history but to shape a new one, one that makes space for all of us to thrive, side by side.

* Senator Cox is a member of the Greens representing WA