What was the Rudd apology?

The Rudd apology was the National Apology to the Stolen Generations delivered by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in the House of Representatives on 13 February 2008. It was the first item of business of the new federal Parliament after the Labor election victory of November 2007 and was watched live by millions of Australians through television, radio, public screenings, and online broadcasts.

The Apology delivered on one of the central recommendations of the 1997 Bringing Them Home report, which had been refused by Prime Minister John Howard during his 11 years in office. The Labor Party had committed to delivering the Apology if elected, and Rudd made it the first substantive item of business of his new government, with broad support from Indigenous Australians, churches, trade unions, and the broader public.

The Apology covered specific elements. It began with the now-famous opening: 'I move that today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history'. It then acknowledged the specific harm: 'We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians. We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country'. The Apology used the word 'sorry' explicitly multiple times. It closed with a commitment to a new partnership and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Public response was extensive. Public events were held across the country, with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians gathering to watch the speech on large screens in city centres, schools, and community centres. Stolen Generations survivors and their families were particularly affected, with many describing it as the moment they had waited decades to hear. The Coalition opposition, led by Brendan Nelson, supported the Apology, with Nelson delivering a response speech that acknowledged the harm while emphasising the need to focus on practical outcomes. Surveys after the Apology showed broad public support, including from a majority of voters in every state. Several specific consequences followed. The Council of Australian Governments adopted the Closing the Gap framework in late 2008, with six Indigenous policy targets. The Healing Foundation was established in 2009. State and federal reparation schemes were expanded. The 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart and the 2023 Voice referendum continue the constitutional dimension. The Apology speech is now considered one of the most important speeches in modern Australian history.