From the Commissioner's Desk….

As readers may be aware by now, this is my last newsletter as Commissioner.

I must say, it is with mixed feelings of relief and sadness that I leave the Commission. Relief, because I believe I made the right decision not to seek a second term, but also sadness when I reflect on the good times, the highlights and above all, the many laughs I shared with Commission staff, clients and my interstate colleagues. My only disappointment is that the official announcement came too late for me to extend my personal and professional thanks to the many people with whom I have forged new and enduring associations. Please take this as my final extension of thanks to you all.

As I reflect on the achievements of the last six years, I humbly realise the privileges enjoyed by this office. As a passionate human rights advocate of some 15 years standing, I had always read about the injustices, or seen graphic photos of them. However, there is nothing like seeing them for yourself - and this job has opened windows of opportunity for me to do just that. Perhaps the most personally troublesome for me is the many visits I was privileged make to our Indigenous communities. No book, no picture, no description can capture the reality of injustice, hardship and despair our first peoples endure. Yet, in every community, with the greatest of warmth, I was always welcomed.

For me, the experiences both elate and haunt me. It was personally taxing to see the ill-health of Indigenous children, their impoverished living conditions, yet always a smile and impeccable manners. Often I would come home, exhausted, collapse and simply sob. Sob because I would walk into my own home with my own children, in a far better position than their Indigenous counterparts, complaining because their father refused them an iceblock! I know it is not their fault. But the personal toll of the collision of two worlds often became a great burden for me. Hopefully, as my children grow older and recall those frequent tears, they will understand why more deeply. I will never forget the many friendships, the many faces, and the many beautiful people I met on the communities. As I said, I have been truly privileged and I reflect on those memories with humility and honour.

On a final note, to my colleagues at the Commission - you have been the best supporters and group of people I have had the pleasure to lead. As one great leader (who shall remain nameless) said, "Leadership is simply defined by two words : creativity and courage - creativity to invent new ideas, and the courage and conviction to carry them forward". Everyone at the Commission is a leader in their own right. Against the controversy surrounding the establishment of the new State Commission in 1996, together we had the courage to strategically fight the cynics and the critics. In fact, today, many of them have become our strongest supporters! And there is no finer example of our collective creativity in lobbying, consistently, for racial and religious vilification, the relocation of the Commission out of the Justice building - all of which we achieved.

Yes, I leave the Commission with comfort - comfort in knowing it is an entrenched institution on the Queensland public administration landscape and comfort in knowing that it is staffed by true, compassionate leaders. I am sure organisationally, the Commission will remain the tour de force it has become. I wish my eventual successor the warmest of wishes and good will. Until we cross paths again, c'est la vie!

Karen Walters

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