Monday, August 31, 2009



Victims of State "care"

"SORRY" IS THE EASY BIT!



In 2004 there was a senate report in to the "Forgotten Generation", which called for a national fund to be set up for victims of abuse in state care. Bravo, finally!, but that was in 2004, five years ago. So what's happened since then?

How many of people who suffered at the hands of government appointed "carers", have actually received any monetary compensation?(as if that would suffice!) and how many perpetrators of the mental, physical and sexual abuses, have actually been convicted and sentenced for their crimes? ...........

I don't know and it appears no one does. Whilst there has been a lot said and reported about the so called "Stolen Generation" , I ask again, where is the media and public uproar over this and just what has this and previous governments really done the right the wrongs?

Many questions remain and I can only hope that in the near future, whilst there are still victims of this dark period in our history, still with us and able to tell their story, that there will be more than the pitiful $300,000.00 being so graciously donated (TIC) by the current Federal Government to two organisations over the next two years.

That's right and also the Federal Government refuses to really take any responsibility as Family Minister Jenny Macklin says "that compensation was a matter for the states." I guess she must have missed Kevin Rudd's election promise memo about stopping the buck passing !?!




This is, in my opinion, a far more genuine cause than last years symbolic farce and is certainly a reason for the Police, Federal and State to act now, whilst these victims are still alive. It is my opinion that Rudd has set up a new precedent for getting government out of the responsibility of it's errors by simply saying " We're Sorry" a few decades after the event. I wonder what it will be like in twenty years from now when the Prime Minister of Australia stands on a public stage and says SORRY for signing Kyoto or turning this great wealthy nation of ours into a third world sweat shop ? I guess rhetoric will never go out of style as long as we allow the current generation of politicians to rule our lives.

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