MEDIA RELEASE

25 May 2009 

Stolen Generations Alliance says BTH audit is the next step 

Co-Chairs of the Stolen Generations Alliance, Debra Hocking and David Hollinsworth believe May 26 this year is an appropriate day to call for the Rudd Government to conduct an audit of the 54 recommendations of the Bringing Them Home Report. The Stolen Generations Alliance wants the government to measure how far we have come and which recommendations still need to be addressed.  

The Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families, also known as the Bringing Them Home Report, was tabled in Federal Parliament on May 26, 1997. Since 1998, May 26 has always been commemorated as Sorry Day. The Stolen Generations Alliance acknowledges May 26 as a day of remembrance for Stolen Generations survivors and their families and believes May 26 is an appropriate day to consider all of the recommendations of the BTH Report. 

SGA Aboriginal Co-Chair, Debra Hocking said today;

 ‘Very few of the recommendations have been fully implemented and although great  progress has been made such as supporting family reunions through Link Up services and of course the apology, Stolen Generations survivors and the broader Australian public need a thorough audit of the BTH Report recommendations so we know where we are and what still needs to be done.’ 

 The Stolen Generations Alliance believes part of the problem is that some of the organisations charged with responsibility for implementing the recommendations such as the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation and ATSIC no longer exist. The SGA believes this situation needs to be reviewed as well as learning from the progress that has already been made. 

 SGA Non-Indigenous Co-Chair, David Hollinsworth supported this saying; 

‘Many people are under the false impression that we have done all that we need to do for Stolen Generations survivors and their families but this is simply not true. Many have only just started their healing journey following the apology last year and now need support to complete this journey. I know that many Australians will want to support this process but know little about what needs to be done and how they can help. An audit of the BTH report is a sensible way forward in taking our next steps as a nation.’ 

The SGA and its affiliates will be holding events across the country on May 26 in recognition of the anniversary of the release of the BTH report and Sorry Day. These events include the construction of a Healing Garden in Albany in Western Australia and a commemorative gathering at the Mt Annan Stolen Generations Memorial in Western Sydney. Many other events are also being held in diverse locations around the country including Townsville, Mt Isa, Darwin, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Melbourne, Adelaide, Port Pirie, Broome and Perth. 

Debra Hocking applauded these initiatives saying; 

‘Stolen Generations survivors have shown immense resilience and an incredible determination to survive. This is an inspiration for all Australians. There have been many times in the past when people scoffed at our call for an apology but we kept up the struggle and finally succeeded. Now it’s time to take the next step forward. If the issues faced by Stolen Generations survivors and their families are properly addressed we will go a long way to resolving some of the seemingly intractable problems we are currently witnessing. We need to give the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children every chance to thrive and succeed. We will never give up hope that we can make this happen and we will never stop moving forward.’  

For further comment contact: Debra Hocking: 0417 358 363 or David Hollinsworth: 0409 004 740