Government Involvement in Reconciliation

Sorry Day - 13 February 2008: The Australian Parliament apologises to the Stolen Generations. Both the government and the opposition support the apology and say 'sorry' to Aboriginal people who were taken away from their families from 1900 to the 1970s. The apology has no legal effect on the ability of Aboriginal people claiming compensation. This speech was hailed as a great step forward in the Australian government recognition of past human rights abuses – particularly in relation to ‘The stolen generation’. It has been criticised by some as a ceremonial gesture with not enough real improvement in Aboriginal quality of life as the statistics on the previous page indicate.
Kevin Rudd's Sorry Day Speech February 13 2008