The Tasmanian Greens today urged the Premier to take a collaborative approach in addressing the Senate recommendation that states offer an apology to those who suffered under previous Forced Adoptions policies.
Greens Children’s spokesperson Paul O’Halloran MP, who has twice raised this matter in State parliament, said that this serious and sensitive matter warrants the engagement of all political parties and stakeholders in drafting an appropriately worded apology.
“The Greens have proposed that the Tasmanian parliament provides in-principle support for the need for an apology over forced adoption, and a tripartite process initiated to liaise with stakeholders to script a formal apology to be made on behalf of the Tasmanian Parliament,” Mr O’Halloran said.
“When I raised with Premier Giddings in late March whether she intended to emulate the promise made by South Australian Premier, Jay Weatherill, who will deliver an apology on the 13th of June this year, I welcomed Ms Gidding’s promise to look into this. However it is disappointing that little progress appears to have been made since then.”
“It’s time for Tasmania to also commit to formally acknowledging the trauma caused to victims of forced adoption, and the role of the state in administering this trauma over decades spanning the 1950s and 1960s.”
“The Greens urge the Premier to engage with both the Greens and the Liberals in her deliberations over this important matter to ensure that any moves forward can have tripartite support, which is so important when travelling with the community along any roads of reconciliation such as this,” Mr O’Halloran said.
Paul O’Halloran MP Greens Children’s spokesperson
