Beyond Sorry
The Prime Minister's formal, unqualified apology to Australia's Indigenous people for past mistreatment is the first of five necessary steps towards an internationally recognised reparations process, according to an article published in the 19 May Indigenous health issue of The Medical Journal of Australia.
Assoc Prof Lisa Jackson Pulver from the Muru Marri Indigenous Health Unit at the University of New South Wales and her co-author give their viewpoint in an article entitled "Beyond Sorry".
The authors say that, for Aboriginal people, the day of the Apology will never be forgotten. For members of the Stolen Generations, there was the release of at last being believed and of having their suffering acknowledged.
"Reconciling our shared history is a work in progress - not an end in itself," she said.
The Apology needs to be seen as the first step towards making amends to the Stolen Generations. We have to involve Australians at all levels, making the process sustainable while upholding self-determination, say the authors.
Further steps in the reparations process, beyond acknowledgement and apology, are guarantees against repetition, measures of restitution, measures of rehabilitation, and monetary compensation.
The Prime Minister has steadfastly refused to discuss reparations or compensation, but "as long as the final steps in reparation remain unresolved, they will obstruct our pathway to a future that embraces all Australians," the authors said.
In the health arena, the authors say that improving the life chances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people becomes the work of all health workers, representative organisations and governments - and by implication, the business of us all.
The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.
The statements or opinions that are expressed in the MJA reflect the views of the authors and do not represent the official policy of the AMA unless that is so stated.
CONTACT:
Associate Professor Lisa Jackson Pulver 02 9385 1763 or 0404 859 989
Kylie Butler (AMA) 02 6270 5466 or 0417 652 488