Jennie George (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Gilmore for bringing this important matter to the attention of the House through this motion and for providing the opportunity to speak again on this significant national issue. The Australian community now acknowledges that the abuse and neglect suffered by many children in institutional or other out-of-home care during the last century was unacceptable. These matters have been the subject of three landmark Senate reports dating back as far as 2001. We know that many of the 500,000 children raised in more than 500 institutions in the period between 1920 and 1980 had been the victims of brutality, with many suffering from sexual and physical abuse.

The traumatic impact of such treatment was brought home to me at a very personal level by one of my constituents, Mr Geoff Meyers, who came to see me and talk about issues that he had not talked about very much at all. He is now 73 and, for a lot of that period, Geoff had been unable to discuss these matters of such a personal nature, even with members of his own family. In an adjournment speech several months ago I spoke about the experiences he had shared with me. Geoff was abandoned when 14 months old and made a ward of the state. The scars of being orphaned and institutionalised were difficult enough but were made manifestly more unbearable as he survived through periods of sexual and emotional abuse.

I noted in my earlier comments in the House that Geoff Meyers had said to me in that interview that an apology from the government was a very important issue for him. In his own words:

I would like Mr Rudd to come to my door and say, ‘Mate, I know it happened to you and, even though I’m not responsible, I’m very sorry for what happened.’

Well, Geoff, it will not be long before the Rudd government responds positively to your request.

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has already indicated that before year’s end, and even as soon as a matter of weeks from now, our government will issue a formal statement of acknowledgement and apology on behalf of the nation to forgotten Australians and former child migrants. As I understand it, the government is planning a significant remembrance event for that occasion. To help in the healing process, the Rudd Labor government has also provided $300,000 each to the Alliance for Forgotten Australians and the Care Leavers Australia Network, more commonly referred to as CLAN. I pay tribute this evening to the wonderful work, support and counselling provided by both organisations.

The member for Gilmore may not have been aware of the commitments I have outlined, the commitments already made by our government, when she submitted her motion. If she was, I have to wonder why her original resolution condemned the current government but was silent on the lack of meaningful responses by the Howard government to earlier Senate recommendations. I note tonight that she has presented her motion in an amended form and in the proper spirit of bipartisanship which this matter deserves. In thanking the member for Gilmore for submitting this motion, I would also like to draw her attention to further commitments made by the Rudd Labor government. One of those is our commitment to work with the National Library of Australia and the National Museum of Australia in deciding how best to record for the historical record the experiences of the forgotten Australians, former child migrants and women and children affected by past adoption practices. I know that for Mr Meyers, along with many others who have been so scarred by their experiences, the day cannot come quickly enough when the government, on behalf of the nation, renders a formal apology.

See this speech in context