Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today is a day that I thought would never come. It was with enormous pride that I joined with some 900 Australians in the Great Hall today to witness the historic apology to the so-called forgotten Australians and child migrants. I want to commend the Prime Minister and Minister Macklin and her staff. I want to thank them for hearing the representations that have been made on behalf of many people who were institutionalised as children and who were child migrants. The Prime Minister and Minister Macklin have listened to a call that has been going out for decades, and they have responded to that call in, I think, a very heartfelt way today. I welcome the bipartisan support for today’s apology, and I acknowledge that Mr Turnbull’s contribution was also very heartfelt.

The words of the motion which was moved today in this place and in the House of Representatives and put in front of those people this morning reflect a sound understanding of the history and the hurt and suffering that was experienced in the past. They reflect an understanding of the ongoing struggle of many people in dealing with their experience. They also recognise what we need to do in the future to continue to assist people who were institutionalised.

I never thought it would happen. The previous government’s response to our report, which was tabled in 2004, said in response to recommendation 1, which was that we issue a formal statement of apology:

While it would not be appropriate for the Australian Government to issue an apology for a matter for which it does not have responsibility, the Government expresses its sincere regret that these children were placed in situations where they did not receive the care they deserved.

Like many on the committee, when I read that response I was deeply saddened—but not as deeply saddened, of course, as those who experienced institutional care.

The value of the apology was on display today. We saw in the Great Hall a celebration of survival. As we all saw, there were lots of tears, but there were also many laughs and a coming together of people who have struggled, personally and collectively. They believe, and I share their belief, that they have made a great gain today. Today was an acknowledgement and a validation of their experience. We heard many times during the inquiry that people knew they were not being believed when they told their stories. Today I hope that care leavers across the nation and child migrants feel that the Australian government, on behalf of the Australian people, believes them.

Today I sat beside a man who was in care in a number of states. He was taken into care in South Australia, moved to Victoria and then to New South Wales. I had not met him before. He was very quiet and then asked me if I would talk to his wife rather than talking to him. She told me that they did not know about the 2004 inquiry—they had not heard about it and only knew about the work of many who have been agitating on behalf of care leavers for the last couple of years. They are not alone. Even now, from time to time, I am contacted by care leavers who have no knowledge of the inquiry and who have just realised the work that the Senate Community Affairs References Committee did. I encourage people who are in that situation to seek support from counsellors. Remembering their shocking treatment, which they have pushed back from their mind for so long, revives emotions and feelings that are very hard to deal with. We know from having so much experience in this that the simple fact of remembering what happened to them in their younger years does raise significant issues that require support.

I describe myself as a person who sees good in humanity and who believes that people are essentially a positive force in society, but the evidence that we heard during that inquiry sorely tested that view of the world. There were stories about lack of food, lack of blankets, lack of clothing and horrible stories of children in Victoria with no shoes. There were stories about the beatings, the use of children as slaves and the menial or worthless tasks that children were told to do simply to fill in time. There were stories about the verbal abuse and the emotional torture these children lived with, and the horrifying and all-too-common sexual attacks. These stories will stay with us all forever. But the bit that really gets me, and the bit that I cannot deal with, is the callous, heartless behaviour of so-called carers who intentionally built a culture of lovelessness in so many of the institutions. That is what cut me to my core.

How could these people systematically ensure that babies, toddlers, children and teenagers did not receive any affection, any kind words or any cuddles—no love at all? That is the bit that I cannot understand. How can an adult human being not show affection for a vulnerable child? Those actions are actions that have to be acknowledged. The hurt that they caused so many people has to be talked about. That is why I am so pleased with the announcement today by the Prime Minister that funding will be made available for care leavers to allow them to share their stories. I have in my office in Cairns a whole section of books that have been written by care leavers. It is clearly really helpful for people who have been institutionalised to write down their story and to share it. It seems to purge them in some way of the horrific experience that they have been subjected to. I do encourage many care leavers to take the opportunity to share their story. It is a very hard thing to do, I am sure, but if you share your story then I hope it will help you to heal.

There are many people we need to thank in this process and a lot of them have been referred to today. Various support organisations exist around this country and every one of them needs to be applauded for their persistence and their strength. Persistence is the word that comes to mind. They are all brilliant people. I want to talk about one person who made this happen—that is, former senator Andrew Murray. Andrew saw me in the corridor today. He said ‘Jan’ and we had a hug and that was sort of it. We did not really have to say much. I pay tribute to him. His dedication and commitment to ensuring that justice started to be done—and ‘started’ is the right word; we have not finished the work—initially for the child migrants and also for the care leavers is something that I know all of us in this place really applaud, but not as much as those people in that hall today. The ovation that he was given was truly well deserved.

Like Senator Moore I want to pay tribute to the staff of the Community Affairs References Committee. These people have carried on this work through the changes of leadership on the committee. They have ensured that the initial work done in the first inquiry into lost innocence and then the subsequent inquiry into the forgotten Australians was not lost. So to Elton Humphery, to Christine McDonald, to Geraldine Badham, who was there then, to Peter Short, who was also there then, to Leonie Peake, who has done a fantastic piece of work, and to Ingrid Zappe I say thank you for your commitment to this work. My final comment is on the word ‘forgotten’. I think we should forget the word ‘forgotten’. I think we should from now on ensure that we talk about the ‘remembered’ Australians.