Today, I delivered one of the most important speeches of my life.
As part of the Treaty commitments, today the Victorian Government apologised to First Nations people for the past and ongoing harms caused by the state and by colonisation.
On behalf of the Greens, I spoke about the true history of our state — the history many of us were never taught, but that First Nations people have carried for generations.
I spoke about the massacres, the stolen children, the policies that stripped people of their rights, and the deliberate attempts to erase culture and identity.
I also talked about the courage of those who resisted, those who survived, and those who still carry these stories today.
Standing there, I felt the weight of that history. I also felt the presence of everyone who has fought to have these truths heard, many who did not live to see this moment.
But this apology is not the end. It must be followed by action, and a commitment to do better.
The impacts of colonisation are not ancient history. They continue to shape health, justice, education and life outcomes for First Nations people today.
And this apology comes at a time when the Victorian Government is pushing through laws that will disproportionately impact First Nations people.
New bail laws introduced this year are already hitting Aboriginal women hardest, with a sharp rise in First Nations women being held on remand.
And the government has just passed laws introducing life sentences for children. First Nations leaders and experts warn these laws will deepen over-policing and expand the over-representation of Aboriginal children in prisons, pushing many into a lifetime of contact with the justice system.
Sorry means you wont do it again.
I fear that in 10 or 20 years a new Parliament will have to stand in this exact place and apologise again for policies enacted this year.
For future generations, we must ensure this apology is not empty, and that it is followed by action.
While I had the privilege of speaking, I want to acknowledge that First Nations voices were absent, and that this apology will be received in different ways throughout community. I want to share this video from Wiradjuri Bunurong person and Greens candidate for Western Metro, Brittney Henderson, who has rejected the State’s apology. You can watch it here.
