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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-05-12 Daily Xml
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Stolen Generations Compensation

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:06): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation a question regarding the stolen generations reparations bill.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: The minister is well aware that this chamber showed an enormous amount of goodwill and respect with regard to the passing of the Stolen Generations (Compensation) Bill introduced by myself last year. The invitation, and indeed plea, was for the minister to take our bill, improve it and continue the healing process of those Aboriginal people and their families who are affected. My question is: when will the minister announce the government's intention with regard to this bill?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:07): I thank the honourable member for his question and his very genuine interest in this matter, as evidenced by, amongst other things, the bill he introduced to parliament and his contributions to the Aboriginal Lands Standing Committee. I also acknowledge the Hon. Tammy Franks and the Hon. Tung Ngo, and others in this chamber who have a very strong and genuine interest in seeing this matter progressed.

A lot has happened in this space over the last couple of decades with the Bringing them home, the 'stolen children' report in 1997 and, to its very great credit, this current parliament's apology, led by then premier Dean Brown, later that year. A decade later there was the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's sorry statement. These have all been important steps in some of the healing in this process.

However, as the honourable member has pointed out and as most members recognise, there are further steps to be taken. The honourable member had a bill before parliament that provided individual reparations for those affected by the stolen generations, and I am continuing to consult across the Aboriginal community and those affected about what the next steps might be, and possibly including something similar to what the honourable member has mentioned, if that is something that those I consult with think is exceptionally important.

I think it is later this week that I will have a meeting organised by the ALRM with a group of people directly affected by the policies and practices in the past, and I am sure that that will help develop this government's views further. I can undertake that, before we decide what the next steps are, I will consult with honourable members who have shown a very great interest in this matter.

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