The Morrison Government has launched the Stolen Generation Redress Scheme.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was committed to delivering practical action on a long-standing issue of national importance.

“Earlier this year I met with the Healing Foundation and survivors of the stolen generations and I committed then that I would look at this important issue,” the Prime Minister said.

“Today we are delivering on that commitment with practical action that will positively impact the health and wellbeing of Stolen Generations survivors, their families and communities.”

Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt said that supporting intergenerational healing was key to the Morrison Government’s commitment to Closing the Gap.

“Through the Commonwealth’s Closing the Gap Implementation Plan, the Morrison Government is committed to working in partnership and listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” Minister Wyatt said.

“This announcement reflects the Government’s commitment to recognise and acknowledge the wrongs of the past as part of the nation’s journey to reconciliation, and this scheme represents a major step forward towards healing.”

The scheme will provide eligible applicants:

• A one-off payment of $75,000 in recognition of the harm caused by forced removal.
• A one-off healing assistance payment of $7,000 in recognition that the action to facilitate healing will be specific to each individual.
• The opportunity, if they choose, for each survivor to confidentially tell their story about the impact of their removal to a senior official within government, have it acknowledged and receive a face-to-face or written apology for their removal and resulting trauma.

While Minister Ken Wyatt has highlighted how critical these schemes are to continue the country’s Reconciliation process.

“The scheme, for living survivors who were removed as children from their families in then-Commonwealth Territories, includes a one-off payment in recognition of the harm caused by forced removal and gives each survivor the opportunity, should they wish, to tell their story and receive an individual apology,” he said.

On the other hand the Labor parties Shadow member for Indigenous Australians welcomed the announcement but also highlighted the issue of those who have passed away.

Many Indigenous leaders welcomed the news but with mixed emotions. Pat Turner highlighted the financial compensation is great but it will never replace growing up with your own family.

“Many of our Stolen Generations have never re-met their families and never been able to reconnect. So I hope this will give some relief to the survivors,” she told ABC radio.

Warren Mundine was also pleased with the announcement but also was nervous about the outcome.

“I am pleased, but now the devil is in the detail. We want to make sure that people don’t fall off the wagon,” he said.

“This is good, now we’d like to see things like this happening across Australia.”

The Government’s commitment is an act that validates the experiences of survivors, Mundine said.

“This is not some made up stuff, people’s lives were ruined,” he said.

“I had tears when I sat and listened to some of the people telling their stories. [This scheme is] the validation of what happened to you, your family and your community.”

The aim of The Dreaming Foundation is to provide significant funding across the entire 17 Closing the Gap targets and to do this without a political lens on the contribution or the outcome. The goal of The Dreaming Foundation is to close the gap.