As an Australian I am always proud of our achievements. We are a nation that has done well when you consider our size and our population. We have a very proud cricket, rugby league and union and now soccer history. We excel at swimming, surfing, sailing and many other water based sports. Our athletic ability has not been as prolific as our swimmers, but then given the temperature extremes, swimming is always going to take preference over running.

We have a great history when it comes to authors, actors, singers, and yes, even scientist. There are many inventions used around the world that started their life here in Australia.

So yes – we have a very proud history.

And yet, as we talk proudly of our history – we also have a past that is less proud. Certainly a history that we try to ignore, try to forget and try to suppress. I am not talking about our convict heritage either – for some reason we are even proud of that.

No – we have a sad history of first, suppressing the indigenous peoples of this land. Not only suppress, we took their children from their families, took their land, and too a degree, took their dignity. Our Prime Minister took steps to rectify this with a public apology to the indigenous peoples – an act that previous Governments had refused to do.

Today – another chapter in our sad past was addressed. This again dealt with children – children who have been labeled the ‘forgotten Australians’. Who are they? They are many. Many people in Australia did not know that, following World War II, up to 8,000 children where removed from England and brought to Australia – many were told they were orphans when it was not the case. These children where placed in the hands of various church organizations that were supposed to care for them.

At the same time there were as many as 500,000 Australian children placed into care, often due to poverty. These children were abused in many ways – sexually, emotionally and physically. Our Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said it all in these words today:

the nation was sorry for their physical suffering, emotional starvation and the cold absence of love and tenderness during their forced care.

My personal hope is that, as we put this past behind us, that, in the future, no child should ever be subject to lies, abuse or a lack of basic care, love and affection like the ‘forgotten Australians’ were.

I add my total support to the Australian Government and the apology given – I hope my fellow Australians do as well.