Mick Gooda will use his renewed term as social justice commissioner to push the case for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and continue to lobby the government to set justice targets addressing Indigenous incarceration.
The federal government will recommend the reappointment of Gooda for another two-year term in the role, the attorney general, George Brandis, announced at the Human Rights Awards on Thursday evening.
“Mick, who I have come to know as a friend, has developed a constructive and effective relationship with both sides of politics and, Mick, we look forward to you being a very important voice, a very important voice in preparing the soul and mind of our country for the referendum on Indigenous constitutional recognition in a little over two years time,” said Brandis.
Gooda told Guardian Australia he was “humbled” by the announcement but said he would continue to demand “a better vision for and engagement with our communities.”
“The focus for my next term will be on advancing the case for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Gooda said.
“This will also include the need for government to adopt justice targets in its efforts to address the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the criminal justice system.”
Gooda has been a vocal advocate and critic in Indigenous affairs. In August Gooda said the push for a national referendum on formally recognising first nation peoples in the constitution was being “burdened by complacency and administrative processes” and he called for a date to be set no later than the end of 2015.
And last month Gooda, who is also co-chair of the Close the Gap campaign, released his annual report analysing the past year in Indigenous affairs and called for the government to introduce formal justice targets as part of the closing the gap strategy.
“Indigenous incarceration rates remain one of the most urgent human rights issues facing Australia,” Gooda told Guardian Australia on Thursday.
“I will continue my call for a justice reinvestment approach that is backed by clear targets and informed by the initial royal commission recommendations.”
Gooda’s report also found that despite Tony Abbott’s assurances to the contrary, Australia was witnessing one of the largest upheavals in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs thanks to large-scale funding cuts, policy changes and reviews by the Coalition government. He called for the government to work with communities.
“It is not okay that in 2014, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, of all Australians, are the most vulnerable, the least healthy, the most imprisoned, the most likely to die in prison, the most at risk of child abuse or neglect, the most likely to be homeless, the least likely to be educated or employed, or the most at risk of domestic violence,” Gooda said.
“It is not okay that our communities’ views are ignored in decisions that affect their lives and their land. It is not okay that our communities are not equal partners in the decisions to better improve their own lives.”
Labor welcomed Gooda’s reappointment and supported his calls for justice targets.
“Mr Gooda has been a fierce advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for 30 years, working across Australia on Indigenous issues in the public and community sectors until his appointment as commissioner in 2010,” said a joint statement from Labor MPs Mark Dreyfus and Shayne Neumann.
The director of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rights Advocacy organisation, Andrew Meehan, said Gooda was a tireless advocate and that his work over the last five years had been extremely important.
“The commissioner has engaged consistently at an international, national, state and local level on rights issues and has played an incredibly valuable role in leading some of the important national discussions,” Meehan said.
