First Nations racism inquiry ends amid empty chairs and absent officials

The national parliamentary inquiry into racism, hate and violence targeting First Nations Australians wrapped up after weeks of stark testimony, including survivors of a near-detonation bomb and a former Olympic boxer who described systemic abandonment. Senator Jana Stewart highlighted the disappointment that dozens of politicians, senior officials and influential figures failed to attend, undermining the hearings' purpose as a direct accountability venue.

Parallel to this, a royal commission into antisemitism was launched after the Bondi terror incident, raising questions about the disparity in attention given to different minority groups. Former federal minister Ken Wyatt suggested that any recommendations emerging from the antisemitism commission should be matched by equal commitment to Indigenous racism. Indigenous representatives such as Catherine Liddle and Deborah Malthouse warned that the recent Indigenous Voice referendum has emboldened overt racism, and elders like Jim Morrison cautioned that the inquiry's report could become another ignored document unless backed by funded action.