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Prime Minister of Australia to make a national apology to the Stolen Generations
CANBERRA, 12 February 2008 – Australia’s Prime Minister, The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP, will make a formal apology to the Stolen Generations and their families on Wednesday 13 February at the first sitting of the new Australian Parliament in Canberra.
‘Stolen Generations’ refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families under past government policies and placed in institutions or church missions, adopted or fostered.
Australia’s Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, The Honourable Jenny Macklin MP, says the apology marks “the beginning of a new relationship, a bridge to build respect and a powerful healing symbol.”
The apology will be the first order of business for the new Parliament, elected in November 2007. Members of the Stolen Generations will be present in the House of Representatives, and the government has arranged for as many Australians as possible to be part of this historic event.
Big screens will be placed on the lawns in front of Parliament House where thousands of people are expected to gather to watch the apology and then join in a celebration including Indigenous performers and a community barbecue.
The apology will be broadcast nationally on television and radio and can be viewed on the internet via the Australian Parliament House website.
The Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur will mark the occasion by flying the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags on 13 February. Further information is available on its website: http://www.malaysia.highcommission.gov.au