From Crikey.com.au:

Have our indigenous brothers retaliated against us for dreadful past mistakes? I think not. They have taken it out on themselves if anything... - Judith Banks

I like the concept, and I'm sure this topic has the potential to get out of hand... but I find it difficult to say "sorry" when I don't believe I have any guilt/blame with anything that happened.

I can certainly empathise with the community affected, but as some politicians and so-on have pointed out this week, it wasn't all bad. An extend-family member was a so-called "stolen generation" individual who was removed from an extremely abusive family and was placed with a very loving & caring family who had to try and undo a lot of the damage previously done.

The flip-side is, there's no doubt that these were always the circumstances nor was the outcome always like this.

While I agree partly, in some of the homes the children placed in there were abused etc.

I don't have a problem with the government saying sorry in fact I can see it having a positive effect. However what does worry me is that it will leave the government open to compensation claims, this I don't agree with.

it does risk out of hand, but hey, discussion and debate is what a free society is about :)

And i am not "responsible" for the sad events of the past, i am however "sorry" they occured, and i am "sorry" they have (in many cases) caused incredible hurt to so many.

my big question is why anyone would not be sorry about peoples suffering.

If anything can be done to help ALL people to live better lives with less suffering then i will support it.

Spot on me - I can't understand why some people are so dead against making an apology to the Indigenous people of Australia.

Jambo - the apology is to be made on behalf of the Australian Govt, as far as I know. That body continues to exist as it did when the Stolen Generation were forcibly removed.

You are not saying sorry (although you can if you want to)- the issue is whether you agree with the Govt saying sorry. For me it's a no brainer

Yep Sorry. Too easy now lets all get back to the drinking.

Me. please stop using that name as I've been using it for ages.

The Sorry Statement is coming from the Parliament of Australia NOT the Government of Australia.

This is how liability is "avoided".

The statement is for years of government POLICY that promoted, encouraged and facilitated forced separation of black kids from their families - regardless of their circumstances - so that they could be bought up "white"

I as an australian born and bred would like to apologise to the indigenous people of this great land . Not only am i sorry for the stolen generations but for the genocide by early settlers and thereafter , the forcing to live in unnatural conditions , the lack of understanding shown to your people who are suffering because of the loss of true indigenous culture .

This may sound a little utopian but I would love to see a truckload of money ( not just token amounts )spent in remote site infrastucture and then education , culture , music and sport so that pride returns and indigenous culture connects more completely with mainstream Australia .

To truly respect , appreciate, embrace and encourage what the Aboriginal folk have to offer us in the education and long lived history of the country we live in .
It is time to give back .

Sorry .

rotate..beautifully put...ditto



note humour/tongue in cheek in the following...

(M)e, please note i was the original owner of the "me" i have been using it since 2004, your assumption that you can walk in, plant your flag on it and claim it as your own because you have used it for "ages" just doesnt wash. :)

Sector 7G - Parliament is Government in action. And an apology from the Parliament/Government does not in itself open the door for claims for compensation. Compensation can be claimed with or without any apology if the actions of the government were negligent.

And rotate, truckloads of money are already spent. That's not the answer. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that when thousands of years of culture is destroyed in a couple of hundred years that there is any answer.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure that when thousands of years of culture is destroyed in a couple of hundred years that there is any answer.

Very true eldoctor but ya can't stop searching for one.

As for the money : Massive cuts to ATSIC by the Howard government in 1996 certainly are not the answer .
There needs to be a think thank involving the right people , subsequent planning and structure with continual spending to remedy what ever percentage of wrong doing our predecessors have contributed to .

There can be improvements in many areas but it takes massive levels of commitment and support .

It has been in the too hard basket for way too long and it needs addressing .

Well said everyone, a much more progressive group appear to look at this site than every other blog i've seen regarding this issue. I think it's the Sth Australian thing, SA has had a much better human rights record against the Nungas.

the apology will read as follows...

"For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry,"


"To the mothers and fathers, the brothers and sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.


"And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry."



"A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity,"


"A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have changed.


"A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.


"A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country."

Full text:

"Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

"We reflect on their past mistreatment.

"We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.

"The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

"We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

"We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

"For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

"To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

"And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

"We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

"For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

"We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

"A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

"A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

"A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed. A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

"A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia."

thanks Isaac, no wonder i thought the one i posted was a bit clumsy

Sorry. Now remove the Union Jack from our flag and let's get on with life together.

172759, yeah, it's called Israel. ;)

172760, it's always been about the "Stolen Generation" AFAIK?

The issue that is legal challege can be raised with or without an apology at any time.

Personnally I dislike the word and concept of "compensation" because it is not a solution. Bigger pictures need to be addressed ... Wellbeing of our nations citizens through sustainable practices.

The apology IMO addresses only previous ignorances and is long overdue now lets get on with the drinking ... from the cup of reasonable life.

172760 - the land was taken over by the settlors as "terra nullius". ie nobody lived on the land. This clearly wasn't the case but there is no way that saying sorry for this would open anyone up to liability - simply because it happened too long ago and proving a causal connection between that act and the damage suffered by someone today would be near impossible.

There is also legislation in almost every state which says that saying "sorry" or "expressing regret" is not an admission of liability - contrarily is it seen not to be an admission of liability. I would say the government doing just that - an expression of regret.. I doubt liability will be imposed on the government because of this apology.

Claims lie elsewhere though, such as a claim brought recently in the SA Supreme Court by an ABoriginal elder in relation to the stolen generation. I can't recall off the top of my head what his cause of action was but he was awarded large amounts of damages - millions possibly

For those who don't support the apology, picture the "sorry" as you would say it to a friend at the funeral of their grandparent or parent. You're not worried about liability or responsibility, just making a gesture of support.

How's the form of Wilson Tuckey? Loudly reads a prayer and then walks out in apparent protest! Tool.

My concern is that this member continually gets elected!!!!! People in O'conner have much to answer to.

To follow up on Lockstock's thoughts, the High Court in Mabo considered the issue of the land being Terra Nullius, which if taken to its limit means that the British did not conquer or annex Australia in any manner known to international law. That is, they did it illegally.

However, as common sense dictated, the High Court essentially said that Australian Courts could not make a finding that was inconsistent with 200 years worth of history since settlement, because to do so would be to undermine the Courts own authority.