Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Prime Minister, I table a ministerial statement on the anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations. I move:

That the Senate take note of the statement.

Today we reflect on the anniversary of the apology to Australia's Indigenous peoples, given here in the Australian parliament, on Ngunawal land, 13 years ago. We take this opportunity to honour the local custodians, the Ngunawal people, and the First Peoples across all of our great southern land. I join the Prime Minister in thanking them and their elders, past, present and emerging, for 65,000 years of continuous stewardship of our land.

We also honour the immense contributions being made by our Indigenous parliamentary colleagues serving in this parliament. We honour the Minister for Indigenous Australians and the shadow minister and the contributions they make to our nation. Here in this place we particularly honour Senator Patrick Dodson, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, Senator Lidia Thorpe and Senator Jacqui Lambie. Thank you for the work that you do. Each of you brings a crucially important perspective to this place, a perspective that adds knowledge and understanding to the deliberations and conversations not just in the formal chambers or committees of the parliament but, perhaps even more importantly, in the informal engagements had between one another. You also set a most crucial and valuable example. You provide, we hope, inspiration and hope to new generations of young Australians through the leadership roles that you play. I look forward to other Indigenous Australians joining us in this parliament in the years to come. Ultimately, we hope for it to be commonplace, rather than exceptional, to be serving alongside Indigenous women and men in our parliaments.

This past weekend marked 13 years since then Prime Minister Rudd gave an apology on behalf of the nation to Australia's Indigenous people, particularly to the stolen generations. The apology was a moment for our country to take steps towards healing. It was a significant step in and of itself. I reiterate those words today: I am sorry for the injustices of the past; we are sorry as a parliament.

Whilst we observe the anniversary of such a significant milestone in our nation's history, this is also an opportunity for us to reflect upon practices undertaken by governments in the past that wrongly sought to disrupt and indeed destroy the world's longest-living culture. We pay respect to those members of the stolen generations, to the survivors and to those who have followed in their footsteps and those who are no longer with us; to the victims of past government policies that forced removal and cultural assimilation.

A state that acted with absolute control over Aboriginal people's lives without even recognising them as citizens was, clearly, a mark of shame. The apology was our opportunity as Australians to say it was wrong for parliaments and governments to remove Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families and communities and their country just because they were Indigenous. As Minister Wyatt so rightly put it over the weekend, the occasion of this anniversary is an opportunity for us to acknowledge the terrible loss and suffering and to remark upon the resilience and determination of those who worked so hard to ensure wrongs were acknowledged and to preserve the culture of their peoples and nations into the future.

What followed the national apology was an effort to close the gap. In the decade that followed, we saw mixed results and an inconsistency in outcomes. As education minister, I was pleased to see positive progress towards the closing the gap targets in terms of the targets around year 12 educational attainment. Such steps in education provide encouragement and some hope for the future, but elsewhere there was a failure to achieve the scale of progress or the permanent change the nation aspired to.

In July last year, we signed a new national agreement on closing the gap, an agreement reached through a historic partnership between Australian governments and Indigenous peak organisations. We understand that the best outcomes occur when governments and Indigenous Australians work together. This agreement marks a new chapter in our efforts and, echoing the comments of the Prime Minister, 'a new chapter in our efforts—one built on mutual trust, respect and dignity'.

Progress is being made as we, across Australia, think differently and recraft our approach, but we know there is so much more to do. On 9 January, Minister Wyatt launched the second stage of the Indigenous Voice co-design process. I thank Professor Marcia Langton and Professor Tom Calma for their work alongside more than 52 members across three co-design groups. I encourage all Australians, especially all 800,000 Indigenous Australians, to provide their feedback to that process.

As a nation and a parliament, we continue to reflect on our shared history and to mark the hope of that day 13 years ago. Changes across a country like Australia can happen at all levels, from governments through to citizens. I would like to acknowledge the very thoughtful, personal and thought-provoking journey shared by ABC journalist Ellen Fanning of her discovery of two Indigenous women, Angelina McKenzie and Maria Koosney, who were sent to undertake forced employment with Ellen's great-grandfather. Ellen's research led to a meeting with Maria's granddaughter and great-granddaughter, Christine Stuart and Loraine Franks.

I'll quote Ellen's article. It says:

After five hours of exchanging photographs and stories, two Queensland families sweating and smiling, there is still one more thing left to say.

"My family owes a debt of gratitude to your family," I begin, "because when they came from England and Ireland, they had nothing. They were pretty much illiterate.

"And off the back of the work and the knowledge of country that your family brought, my family is educated and where we are today. So, is 'thank you' the right thing to say?"

"Of course it is, Ellen … You cannot blame the children of today for what the elders did yesterday," Loraine says. "As far as I am concerned, my mother would be smiling down on us now. I really mean that."

Loraine shows an amazing generosity of kindness and forgiveness that offers remarkable hope. So many Indigenous Australians have shown such resilience, such kindness, such forgiveness.

On days like today, we acknowledge the wrongs of what have happened and together seek to work to ensure it doesn't happen to future generations. The apology brought this parliament and the nation closer together and recognised the significant contribution Indigenous Australians had made and continue to make to this great nation. Today we reaffirm our commitment and lean into that shared hope of a future in which we are one and we walk together in the pursuit of a better future for all and a better understanding amongst all. I thank the Senate.