CANBERRA - 21 June 2021

Mr Speaker,

Recently, 42 Stolen Generation survivors got some closure when they settled a class action for a lack of duty of care by the Commonwealth and the Catholic Church.

Many now live in my electorate.

They signed a compensation deal 40 years in the making.

Many suffered appalling abuse in the Garden Point mission on Melville Island.

It means something to have wrongdoing acknowledged. It goes a small way towards attaining some sense of justice.

I want to acknowledge those survivors.

I also acknowledge our Bishop Charles Gauci, who on behalf of the Catholic Diocese of Darwin apologised to those who were abused at Garden Point.

He said: "We cannot undo the wrongs of the past but I hope we can now walk together on a journey of healing."

I acknowledge Slater Gordon, the law firm which took on the case pro bono, and all those who worked constructively. Thanks to Sue Roman, herself a member of the Stolen Generations, for her work and support of the victims.

But I’d especially like to applaud Maxine Kunde and Yvonne Dunn. 

They were resilient, patient, committed, and spent much of their own money to achieve this outcome.

It never would have happened without their work. Well done.

Truth-telling is important.

Agreement-making is important.

Healing is never too late.

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ENDS