Western Australia’s Stolen Generations survivors are holding a rally in Perth today, (Tuesday, June 13) calling for long overdue compensation.
The WA government was the first state to issue an apology to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families ripped apart under past racist government policies.
Despite acknowledging the ‘hurt and distress’ caused by the forced removal of Indigenous children on May 28, 1997 – 11 years before Kevin Rudd made the National Apology – WA and QLD are the only two states stilling waiting on reparations.
Yokai: Healing our Spirit, Bringing Them Home WA, and the Western Australian Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation are calling on all Stolen Generations, their descendants, and supporters to join them at 12:30pm (AWST) on the forecourt of Parliament House in west Perth, as speakers outline their demands to the state government.
Co-Chair of Bringing Them Home WA Tony Hansen, is a Stolen Generations Survivor from Marribank Mission, and says their patience has run out.
“We’ve been waiting 26 years, the time has come to say fair’s fair. It’s 26 years since the Bringing Them Home report and one of the recommendations from the report was compensation to the Stolen Generations people.
“We’re asking all Western Australians to participate. This is also a great opportunity to right the wrongs, not of the current government but of past governments and past policies that have impacted our Stolen Generations people here in WA.”
Mr Hansen says he’s hopeful Western Australia’s new premier Roger Cook will sit down with survivors to move the issue forward.
“I’m really confident. Premier Cook has worked in this field for many years with our people, and he really upholds our people in a high estate. When you listen to his inaugural speech in parliament (2008) he really highlights the disadvantage of Western Australian Aboriginal people.”
