Today, this Parliament, on behalf of the Australian people, takes responsibility and apologises for the policies and practices that forced the separation of mothers from their babies, which created a lifelong legacy of pain and suffering.
That the House support the apology given earlier today by the Prime Minister to people affected by forced adoption and removal policies and practices in the following terms:
Today, this Parliament, on behalf of the Australian people, takes responsibility and apologises for the policies and practices that forced the separation of mothers from their babies, which created a lifelong legacy of pain and suffering.
We acknowledge the profound effects of these policies and practices on fathers.
And we recognise the hurt these actions caused to brothers and sisters, grandparents, partners and extended family members.
We deplore the shameful practices that denied you, the mothers, your fundamental rights and responsibilities to love and care for your children. You were not legally or socially acknowledged as their mothers. And you were yourselves deprived of care and support.
To you, the mothers who were betrayed by a system that gave you no choice and subjected you to manipulation, mistreatment and malpractice, we apologise.
We say sorry to you, the mothers who were denied knowledge of your rights, which meant you could not provide informed consent. You were given false assurances. You were forced to endure the coercion and brutality of practices that were unethical, dishonest and in many cases illegal.
We know you have suffered enduring effects from these practices forced upon you by others. For the loss, the grief, the disempowerment, the stigmatisation and the guilt, we say sorry.
To each of you who were adopted or removed, who were led to believe your mother had rejected you and who were denied the opportunity to grow up with your family and community of origin and to connect with your culture, we say sorry.
We apologise to the sons and daughters who grew up not knowing how much you were wanted and loved.
We acknowledge that many of you still experience a constant struggle with identity, uncertainty and loss, and feel a persistent tension between loyalty to one family and yearning for another.
To you, the fathers, who were excluded from the lives of your children and deprived of the dignity of recognition on your children's birth records, we say sorry. We acknowledge your loss and grief.
We recognise that the consequences of forced adoption practices continue to resonate through many, many lives. To you, the siblings, grandparents, partners and other family members who have shared in the pain and suffering of your loved ones or who were unable to share their lives, we say sorry.
Many are still grieving. Some families will be lost to one another forever. To those of you who face the difficulties of reconnecting with family and establishing on-going relationships, we say sorry.
We offer this apology in the hope that it will assist your healing and in order to shine a light on a dark period of our nation's history.
To those who have fought for the truth to be heard, we hear you now. We acknowledge that many of you have suffered in silence for far too long.
We are saddened that many others are no longer here to share this moment. In particular, we remember those affected by these practices who took their own lives. Our profound sympathies go to their families.
To redress the shameful mistakes of the past, we are committed to ensuring that all those affected get the help they need, including access to specialist counselling services and support, the ability to find the truth in freely available records and assistance in reconnecting with lost family.
We resolve, as a nation, to do all in our power to make sure these practices are never repeated. In facing future challenges, we will remember the lessons of family separation. Our focus will be on protecting the fundamental rights of children and on the importance of the child's right to know and be cared for by his or her parents.
With profound sadness and remorse, we offer you all our unreserved apology.
We reflect on these words spoken by the Prime Minister earlier today and we come together as a nation to acknowledge and apologise for the pain and suffering experienced by so many in our community as a result of forced adoption and removal policies and practices. As we acknowledge the insensitivities of these practices, we also ensure that the experiences of those affected are committed to the national record.
There are many people who have worked tirelessly to bring us here today. The Prime Minister acknowledged some of these people this morning. In particular, I would like to recognise the work of the chair, Senator Siewert, and members of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee for the development of their report into the Commonwealth contribution to former forced adoption policies and practices. It was this report which confirmed the need for the Australian government to acknowledge and apologise for the suffering of all those involved.
I would also like to recognise the hard work done by the chair, Professor Nahum Mushin, and the members of the Forced Adoptions Apology Reference Group in their development of the apology wording and ongoing advice in preparations for today's event. The reference group had an important and challenging task and I thank them for their efforts.
Most importantly, I would like to acknowledge all of those affected by forced adoption and removal policies and practices who have gathered in parliament today. I admire the courage of those who have shared their stories and experiences. Your determination and advocacy has culminated in today's events and given others the courage to come forward.
Earlier today, the Prime Minister emphasised the ongoing trauma and suffering experienced by many parents whose children were forcibly removed and by those children, now adults, who were separated from their families. In reflecting on these stories, we recognise the diversity of people's experiences and the different paths their lives have taken.
Mothers have recalled the shame, stigma and social isolation inflicted upon them and the grossly unethical behaviour of many professionals whose care they were under. Many were not able to touch or hold their babies. Some had pillows placed over their heads during birth to prevent them from even glimpsing their baby. Many provided consent under duress and some did not give consent at all. Many continue to experience trauma as a result of these very experiences. It is difficult to comprehend the enormity of your struggles.
In highlighting your experiences today, we hope that we can help reduce some of your pain. Adoptees have relayed their constant struggles with identity. Many have told of their feelings of abandonment and some have only recently discovered their truths. We recognise that, for many, your birth certificates were changed and current laws have made it difficult to reconnect with your families of origin. I regret the pain these barriers have caused.
I know that many extended family members have struggled to understand the experiences of their loved ones affected by these practices. The love and commitment you have provided to this day has not gone unnoticed. I offer my thanks to those who have shared in the life journeys of their loved ones. Understandably, these experiences have had lasting effects, many of which have been misunderstood, and have also impacted the lives of fathers, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins and other family members.
It is time that we as a country, as a parliament and as a government take responsibility for these terrible wrongs and injustices. This is why today as a nation we are saying sorry.
Many people have told us that words alone are not enough and that an apology is only effective in the context of other actions. This was made clear in the Senate committee report, where it states:
every government and institution has a responsibility to match the words of apologies with appropriate actions.
We understand that concrete measures that accompany an apology are central to ensuring the apology is meaningful and assists people in their healing. Later today, the Australian government will table its response to the Senate committee report in the Senate. It announces an investment of $11.5 million over the next four years for concrete measures to assist those affected by forced adoption practices. Together with the work of the states and territories, this will provide a national framework of counselling and support services to address the key recommendations of the Senate committee report.
The package announced today will ensure that a range of effective services are available to mothers, fathers and adopted people, on the understanding that people affected by adoption are individuals with different needs. Five million dollars has been allocated to improve access to specialist support services, peer and professional counselling, and records-tracing support for those affected by forced adoptions. A further $5 million will provide for the development of guidelines and training materials for mental health professionals to assist in the diagnosis, treatment and care of those affected by forced adoption practices, and increase the capacity for general practitioners to refer those affected to mental health professionals who deliver focused psychological services.
Many people have acknowledged that the content of any apology is only part of the story. The Senate committee report reiterated this by stating that an effective apology must be 'widely heard and understood' to ensure greater public awareness of these practices. In response, $1.5 million has been provided to the National Archives of Australia to record the experiences of those affected by forced adoption and to increase awareness and understanding of these experiences in the community. The Australian government will also continue discussions with the state and territory governments to improve access to and amendment of adoption and birth records. These are positive steps which demonstrate the Australian government's commitment to redressing its mistakes and providing specialised support and assistance to those who seek it.
Today we have reflected on the stories and experiences of those affected by forced adoption and removal policies and practices. We hope that today's events will assist families to heal and signify a day of remembrance to acknowledge this shameful part of our history.
On behalf of our nation, we offer you our unreserved apology for the grief and pain these practices have caused and vow to ensure these practices are never repeated. I understand that today will mark the beginning of a journey for many of those affected by these practices; I hope that it will also begin the journey for Australia as a nation.
