Australian Social Inclusion Board member awarded ACT Australian of the Year

Australian Social Inclusion Board Member, Dr Tom Calma AO, has been announced as the ACT Australian of the Year for 2013.

ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher, made the announcement last night and said that for more than four decades, Dr Tom Calma has championed the importance of empowerment – a passion which runs through his work in education, training, employment, health, justice, reinvestment and development.

This latest award comes only a few months after he was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the Queen's Birthday 2012 Honours, for distinguished service to the Indigenous community as an advocate for human rights and social justice, through contributions to government policy and reform, and to cross cultural understanding.

Finalists for the ACT Australian of the Year were:
•Mr Gordon Gregory OAM – rural health advocate
•Ms Libby Lloyd AM – human rights activist
•Dr Ken Henry AC – government advisor

For more information on the announcement, see the ACT Government's website

See Tom Calma's Biography