Brett Raguse (Forde, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with a lot of pride and pleasure that I rise tonight to bring this motion before the chamber. In fact, on 19 February last year in my first speech to the House, and in subsequent speeches, I mentioned issues of adoption. Tonight, roughly 12 months on from my first speech, I will say a little bit more about the issues of adoption. For those who may remember part of that speech, it was about my own family circumstances. I was born in 1960 and my mother was only 17 years of age and single. It was just one of those things that women at that stage had no support if they were not married, and in her circumstances she lived in the family home sharing with 12 other brothers and sisters. She was the oldest of 12, so it was clear that I was not able to be cared for within that normal family situation.

I bring that to notice tonight because this is really about a wonderful innovation to recognise adoption in all its forms. There are other speakers who may talk about various forms of adoption, but it really is about bringing before the chamber the notion that National Adoption Awareness Week is very important for a whole range of reasons. It lifts the lid and takes away the secrecy that surrounded and still surrounds adoption to this day. I should say that it is an interesting time because Queensland has been the last state in the country to finally open up the adoption registers.

When I was born, in 1960, the adoption rolls were closed, so information about my birth and a whole range of other family information could not be given. In fact, by 1964 it was completely silent. In my family, it was something I was always made aware of as I was growing up. As a very young child I was told that it was a great thing because my parents had chosen me and that I was very lucky to be raised in that particular family. I had a great upbringing. I love my parents dearly, but I also knew that there was another side to who I was. I was 29 before I found my natural family. That was after many years of digging through files and information. In Queensland it was essentially illegal to have any understanding of who your natural family was or have a connection with them. So it is important to have this motion before the House tonight about National Adoption Awareness Week.

It is important for people like me who, back in the late eighties, fought very hard in Queensland to get the original changes to the legislation—to open up those files to some degree—with a whole lot of protection that was absolutely essential at the time. Nearly 20 years on, it is time for the Queensland government to act. It has acted proactively, in fact, and put legislation into the house. As there has been an election called in Queensland today, some of that legislation might take a little bit longer to be finalised. But the reality is that there is the intent by both sides of that chamber that adoption and finally getting away from the secrecy that surrounded it are very important issues. For me, as a child growing up, adoption was spoken about as though there were something wrong. It was something that should not be talked about. In fact, whenever family history was discussed at school, I would say, ‘Miss,’—or ‘Sir,’—‘I do not know my background because I am adopted.’ And my teachers would take me aside and say, ‘That is something you cannot talk about.’ So it had that certain level of secrecy.

I am very pleased, of course, with the work done nationally and by other state governments in Australia towards opening up those registers and allowing information to be provided. I will give you an example of how this information can be so important. I have four children. When my wife was pregnant with our first child, the specialists wanted to know my family history—diseases and a whole range of things. I said simply: ‘I am adopted. I have no access to that.’ He was absolutely horrified. At that time—certainly in his practice and in his way of operating—it was understood that adoption had a whole lot of limitations. Laws have changed when it comes to medical information, and I think National Adoption Awareness Week allows people to talk openly about adoption—it is not a scourge or a disease; it is a family situation. I had a wonderful life growing up. I have met all my natural family now, through a whole range of opportunities. It is a great family, and the member for Moreton knows some of them very well. I will be very pleased to hear other members talk about their personal experiences in relation to this motion before the House. Finally the shutters have come up and it is something that we can talk about. All of us are very proud of this motion. I am very proud to have been an adoptee and very proud to have had an influence in changing the laws in Queensland.

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