Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share 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.

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