Reconciliation Australia welcomes the Victorian Government’s formal apology to Victorian First Peoples for past injustices committed.
Advancing reconciliation requires an honest acknowledgement of past wrongs and a recognition of the impact of previous government policies on current generations.
An apology for these wrongs indicates that other Australians, including our political leaders, understand and regret the hurt experienced.
After Kevin Rudd’s 2008 National Apology to the Stolen Generations, members of the Stolen Generations spoke about their sense of being able to move forward, and how the prime minister’s apology engendered a sense of hope for the future.
The acknowledgement of the wrongs done to the Stolen Generations was an essential aspect of truth-telling and historical acceptance – one of the five dimensions used to measure reconciliation.
Truth-telling, truth-listening, truth-acting
Truth-telling has always been at the heart of reconciliation and must continue to be a keystone for creating a more just and equitable Australia.
However, truth-telling is not just about accepting and understanding our shared history and its ongoing impacts – it’s about making sure that Australia does what is necessary to ensure past wrongs are never repeated.
Premier Jacinta Allan told the Victorian Parliament that the recently signed Treaty will create the enduring change that must follow today’s apology, describing Treaty as ‘a pathway to healing and change.’
It is critical that our political leaders adopt a multipartisan approach to supporting such initiatives towards reconciliation, justice and unity.
Like the 2008 apology, today’s Victorian Government act of contrition is a significant step towards building a respectful new relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
It follows one of Australia’s most comprehensive truth-telling processes by the Yoorrook Justice Commission, which found that the colonisation of Victoria was marked by dispossession, displacement and violence towards First Peoples.
It urged the government to formally recognise the “responsibility of its predecessors for laws, policies and practices that contributed to systemic injustices against Victorian First Peoples” and to issue an official apology.
There is a growing awareness among Australians of the terrible impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by British colonisation and the enduring legacy of that impact.
Our latest Australian Reconciliation Barometer (ARB), the only survey that measures the progress of reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians, found strong public support for truth-telling.
81% of the general public and 84% of First Nations people believe it is important to learn about the impact of European colonisation and government policy on First Nations peoples. Support is even stronger among young and multicultural Australians.
With its treaty, truth-telling process and now an apology, Victoria is setting benchmarks for other states to progress justice, self-determination and reconciliation.
Reconciliation Australia looks forward to other Australian governments following Victoria’s lead.
