Today is a significant turning point for Australia. I hope. At 9am this morning Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a formal apology on behalf of the Australian Parliament to the Aboriginal People for the Stolen Generations. This apology has been 11 years in the making, following the Bringing Them Home Report being tabled in the Australian Parliament in 1997. The report followed an inquiry by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and described the systemic removal of aboriginal children from their families throughout most of the 20th Century to the later 70s: The Stolen Generations. It was recommended in the report that as part of the reconciliation process, a formal apology should be offered by the parliaments of Australia to the aboriginal people for the Stolen Generations. All the state parliaments of Australia took part in this process. Today was the Commonwealth Parliament's turn......albeit slightly late.
I can understand that many people both indigenous and non-indigenous see such an apology as a hollow one due to the absolute woeful conditions most Aboriginal people find themselves in today. Aboriginal babies only have a one in three chance of living past the age of 65. This is shameful in a country where the average age of mortality rate for men is 79 and for women is 81. How is an apology going to change that many ask. I can understand why many non-indigenous Australians object to apologising for what many see as the well-intentioned mistakes of previous generations. I was one of those non-indigenous Australians ten years ago when the report was first tabled in parliament. Why should I apologise for somebody else's mistake? And what about all the non-indigenous Australians who were stolen from their families as well? Are we to apologise to them as well? Where is the line drawn?
Time and work experience has changed my attitude. For three years I worked as a lawyer for the Sydney Aboriginal Legal Service. I saw how aboriginal people in this country live. I saw how it is nearly impossible for an Aboriginal person to walk down any street of any town or city in this country without the fear of being questioned by Police simply because of their colour and background. I saw how aboriginal people find it almost impossible to catch a cab because no one will pick them up. I saw the entrenched inter-generational dread in my clients' eyes when I advised that DoCS (child welfare) wished to do a "home visit". There was not one Aboriginal client I dealt with who did not have family member who was a member of the Stolen Generation. And yes I saw the alcoholism, the welfare addiction, the domestic violence, the drug addiction and the child abuse; problems that exist in non-indigenous communities as well, not just aboriginal ones. They are more acute in indigenous communities due to the mistrust that many aboriginal people have for government authorities such as the police and child protection authorities. This fear is entrenched because of the past actions of government policies such as ones that instigated the Stolen Generations. Most child abuse and domestic violence is not reported in Aboriginal Communities because of this grave mistrust of White Australia. And who would blame them? Our ancestors invaded their lands, took away their rights, for a great deal of time considered them to be sub-human and then systemically removed all their children. Wouldn't you feel a bit strange about reporting abuse in your community to a ruling authority who had committed so many atrocities on your people in the past? I know I would. And that is why an apology by the Australian Parliament must be made. It is the beginning of the road to a unified Australia; a place where one day hopefully the non-indigenous and indigenous peoples of this nation can be one people.
Now lets see if the action of this government backs its words. Lets hope for future generations of all Australians it does.
C
I can understand that many people both indigenous and non-indigenous see such an apology as a hollow one due to the absolute woeful conditions most Aboriginal people find themselves in today. Aboriginal babies only have a one in three chance of living past the age of 65. This is shameful in a country where the average age of mortality rate for men is 79 and for women is 81. How is an apology going to change that many ask. I can understand why many non-indigenous Australians object to apologising for what many see as the well-intentioned mistakes of previous generations. I was one of those non-indigenous Australians ten years ago when the report was first tabled in parliament. Why should I apologise for somebody else's mistake? And what about all the non-indigenous Australians who were stolen from their families as well? Are we to apologise to them as well? Where is the line drawn?
Time and work experience has changed my attitude. For three years I worked as a lawyer for the Sydney Aboriginal Legal Service. I saw how aboriginal people in this country live. I saw how it is nearly impossible for an Aboriginal person to walk down any street of any town or city in this country without the fear of being questioned by Police simply because of their colour and background. I saw how aboriginal people find it almost impossible to catch a cab because no one will pick them up. I saw the entrenched inter-generational dread in my clients' eyes when I advised that DoCS (child welfare) wished to do a "home visit". There was not one Aboriginal client I dealt with who did not have family member who was a member of the Stolen Generation. And yes I saw the alcoholism, the welfare addiction, the domestic violence, the drug addiction and the child abuse; problems that exist in non-indigenous communities as well, not just aboriginal ones. They are more acute in indigenous communities due to the mistrust that many aboriginal people have for government authorities such as the police and child protection authorities. This fear is entrenched because of the past actions of government policies such as ones that instigated the Stolen Generations. Most child abuse and domestic violence is not reported in Aboriginal Communities because of this grave mistrust of White Australia. And who would blame them? Our ancestors invaded their lands, took away their rights, for a great deal of time considered them to be sub-human and then systemically removed all their children. Wouldn't you feel a bit strange about reporting abuse in your community to a ruling authority who had committed so many atrocities on your people in the past? I know I would. And that is why an apology by the Australian Parliament must be made. It is the beginning of the road to a unified Australia; a place where one day hopefully the non-indigenous and indigenous peoples of this nation can be one people.
Now lets see if the action of this government backs its words. Lets hope for future generations of all Australians it does.
C
The apology in full as read by PM Kevin Rudd in the Australian Parliament today:
Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history. We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country. For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry. And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry. We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation. For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written. We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians. A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again. A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity. A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed. A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility. A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.
Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history. We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country. For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry. And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry. We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation. For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written. We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians. A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again. A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity. A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed. A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility. A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.
PS : Kevin Rudd looks like Mr Sheen (the cleaning product cartoon). Sorry I had to say it.
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