FORCED ADOPTION APOLOGY

Private Members Business, Orders of the Day No. 25: Hon. T.A. Franks to move:

That this council—

1. Acknowledges that previous parliaments and governments share responsibility for the application of some of the policies and processes that impacted upon unmarried mothers of adopted children, and now apologises to the mothers, their children and the families who were adversely affected by these past adoption practices and expresses its sympathy to those individuals whose interests were poorly served by the policy of those times.

2. Calls on the Premier to move a formal statement of apology in the parliament in relation to—

(a) past adoption practices for which it is now recognised that, for a significant part of the 20^th century, the legal, health and welfare systems and processes then operating in South Australia meant that many pregnant unmarried women were not given the appropriate care and respect that they needed and were sometimes coerced to give up children for adoption; and

(b) processes, such as the immediate removal of the baby following birth preventing bonding with the mother, which are recognised, in many cases, to have caused long-term anguish and suffering for the people affected.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (17:49): I move:

That this order of the day be discharged.

Motion carried; order of the day discharged.