Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is Sorry Day and as you would see it is being marked by many members in the House wearing the emblem of Sorry Day. That means it is the anniversary of the tabling in this parliament of the 1997 Bringing them home report, which was co-authored by Mick Dodson and by the late Sir Ronald Wilson. That was a landmark report. Many members of this House would remember it well, would remember its contents well and would remember the day that the parliament received it well. It was a report that acknowledged the forced separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. When it was received by this parliament it was spoken to by members in the House. I clearly remember that day and the Leader of the Opposition Kim Beazley shedding some tears because of the content of that report and how powerful are how moving it was.

As part of the journey of healing that the nation has engaged in since the delivery of that report, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in this place in 2008 delivered the national apology that recognised the profound grief, suffering and loss past government practices inflicted on stolen generations. That was an important moment—a page of history written for our nation. But the journey of healing still continues. We recognise that members of the stolen generations continue to require our support and they continue on their personal journey of healing. So today we reflect on the grief and on the trauma experienced by members of the stolen generations. On behalf of all Australians we commit ourselves to an ongoing journey of healing. Of course, I believe we also jointly resolve to keep working with members of the stolen generations and the organisations who represent them to make sure that we continue to hear their voices and we continue to support them. Thank you.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the words of the Prime Minister and to agree that, yes, we should remember all the ways in which Indigenous policy has failed and resolve to do better. And we should recall all the ways in which Australians have not treated their fellow Australians as they should have and resolve to improve. But it has not all been bad.

I should acknowledge former Prime Minister Keating for reminding us all, at Redfern in 1992, of that legacy of unutterable shame. I should also acknowledge former Prime Minister Howard for his work to bring about practical improvements in the lives of Aboriginal people, including through the intervention which both sides of this parliament supported. I should also acknowledge former Prime Minister Rudd for having the vision to say sorry on behalf of our nation. That was an historic day and we all pay tribute to him for that act of statesmanship. In the Prime Minister's speech that day he pointed out that words without deeds were empty—they were but sounding brass and clanging gongs. The point is not just to be sorry but to do better.

I should observe today that this parliament could improve the economic prospects of the Aboriginal people of Cape York if it passed the private member's bill on Wild Rivers. And you and I, Prime Minister, could better address the social crisis in Alice Springs and elsewhere if we were prepared to meet together with the provisional owners as we have both been invited to do. It is all very well to be sorry for the past problems and the past mistakes that have undoubtedly been made. That means it is all the more urgent that we do not compound current problems by making new mistakes. I grieve for the stolen generations of the past. I also grieve for the ruined generations of the present and for that we should all be truly sorry.