Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s apology to the Stolen Generations took place on 13 February 2008.
Caxton Legal Centre staff would like to acknowledge the immense harm caused by the systematic removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families across Australia. We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are still being removed from their families through the child protection system and that the trauma that results is deep and enduring. The apology to Stolen Generations should have marked a turning point, yet in the justice, health and education sectors the experiences of Australia’s First Nations Peoples are still far worse than those of the general population.
Caxton Legal Centre staff take this opportunity to express our sadness and regret for the damage done to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through these processes.
For the past 12 months we have been working on our First Nations Engagement and Cultural Capability Plan with guidance from our reference group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Through this plan we commit to relationship building, respectful listening and talking and contributing to improved legal outcomes for First Nations Peoples. We hope that these steps help progress towards a just society.