IEUA SUPPORTS APOLOGY TO STOLEN GENERATIONS

"The IEUA applauds the Federal Government’s Apology to the Stolen Generations" said Independent Education Union Federal Secretary Chris Watt.

"This is an important and necessary step in the Reconciliation process in this country" he said.

"It must however be part of a genuine commitment by this nation to closing the gap between Indigenous people and the broader community"

"The fact that Australia’s Aboriginal peoples remain at the bottom level of every economic, health and social indicator is unacceptable and should be a source of national shame," he said

While the Apology relates to government policy and practices that ended a quarter of a century ago our failure to deal with the economic, health, educational and social issues facing Indigenous Australians means that the rate at which Aboriginal children are being removed from their families by welfare authorities has actually increased since the time of the Stolen Generations.

"Disturbingly the rate of removal of Aboriginal children in 2008 is almost 50 per cent higher than during the Stolen Generations period" said Mr Watt.

"Changing this must be a national priority and Australians need to commit to support courageous policy to tackle together the issues that continue to divide this country," he said.

"Security of family, of health, of property, of employment along with attention to basic needs such as food, housing and water are critical"

"Tragically the federal economic and social policies of the last decade have widened the gap between rich and poor in this country but the IEUA looks forward to new directions from the Rudd Labor government."

"Further, as we move forward on these difficult issues the IEUA believes that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island nations should have the right as the First Nations and as equal parties in the reconciliation process, to negotiate directly, the issues which remain unresolved in both the national reconciliation agenda and also their blueprint for their futures" said Mr Watt.

Contact:

Chris Watt

Federal Secretary

Independent Education Union

Ph (03) 9254 1830