The Democrats offered their apology to the Stolen Generation in the Senate this morning. Senator Allison said:
“My colleagues and I, without reservation, join the Rudd Federal Government in offering an official Australia Parliament apology to those Indigenous Australians who were taken from their mothers, their fathers, their siblings, their communities and their land and placed in institutions and in the charge of complete strangers.
“We say sorry for the ignorance and the prejudice and the misguided attempts to improve the opportunities and the lives of Indigenous children.
"We say sorry that it was not until 30 years after the child stealing stopped that we asked Aboriginal Australians to tell us their stories."
“Many of us were here in the parliament 1997 when the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission presented its report and I acknowledge the great work of the Commission and particularly Sir Ronald Wilson who briefed us on the awful findings.
“We learned the depth of racial discrimination, the arbitrary deprivation of liberty, the pain and suffering, the abuse, the disruption of family life, the loss of cultural rights and fulfilment, the exploitation and the loss of opportunities.
“We regret that that it took another 10 years and a change of government to say sorry.
Senator Allison acknowledged the work of her colleague and former Senator Aden Ridgeway in promoting a welcome to country, regretting that there was no Indigenous member of parliament to contribute to the sorry debate.
The Democrats, while urging Labor to move on to the remainder of HREOC's recommendations and compensation said this was an issue that should be distinct from the apology.
Senator Allison also urged all parties to listen to Indigenous people – intently, carefully and respectfully – or the strategies will be totally worthless and the money again wasted concluding:
“Forcing a baby from the arms of its Indigenous mother because white people know what's best for that child proved very stupid and very wrong.
“It was a sorry business and we are sorry.”
Note: From the party’s inception, the Democrats have debated and lobbied and struggled for Aboriginal reconciliation as an essential element of nation-building. At times, this has been a lonely voice.
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