Stolen Generations Survivors Meet with Government to Call for Action

STOLEN GENERATIONS SURVIVORS MEET WITH GOVERNMENT TO CALL FOR ACTION

Stolen Generations survivors from across Australia gathered at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday 12 February, on the eve of the 18^th anniversary of the Apology. 

Well known author and activist, Aunty Ruth Hegarty, 97, travelled from Queensland and addressed the crowd of politicians, survivors and support people at the morning tea co-hosted by Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy and The Healing Foundation.

Aunty Ruth shared her experience of being removed from her family, living 21 years in the dormitory saying:

“We were the people whose ancestors lived on this land and showed us much and taught us much. 

“We are the people that then were stolen, stolen from our families, from our mothers, from our fathers. 

“I love that song that Archie sings. They stole our children. They took them away and that’s exactly what they did to us,” she said.

 “Freedom was something I never had, freedom was what I wanted more than anything else,” she said.  

Aunty Ruth shared how she wanted to be educated, and attended university aged in her 60s, and wrote several books. At 97 years old, she is still working with her people in Queensland. 

Aunty Ruth received a standing ovation after her powerful address. 

Survivors who attended were able to speak with Ministers directly to advocate for change, and highlight the priorities that were important to them. 

Aged Care Act penalises survivors – call for change 

The Healing Foundation CEO Shannan Dodson urged the Ministers in attendance to amend the new Aged Care Act to ensure survivors who have received reparations were not penalised in means testing for aged care support services.  

“It is not ok, they should not be penalised for the compensation they are receiving,” she said.  

She added that access to records, redress, particularly in Queensland (the only remaining state without a redress scheme), and sustainable funding for the Stolen Generations organisations across the country are all critical. 

Following the morning tea, survivors made their way to sit in the public gallery to listen to the Prime Minister as he announced the latest Closing the Gap progress report.

Closing the Gap – survivors are the gap within the gap

Stolen Generations survivors experience a “gap within the gap.” Evidence shows they face significantly poorer health, wellbeing, and socioeconomic outcomes, impacts that continue across generations. 

The Independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderled Review of Closing the Gap confirmed the urgent need for Stolen Generations to be explicitly recognised in national policy, data, and accountability frameworks. 

We urge the government to embed Stolen Generations outcomes in jurisdictional implementation plans and ensure accountability for action on Bringing them home recommendations.