Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says she is prepared to make a formal apology to Indigenous Victorians following the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s work.
In her witness statement tendered to the commission, the Premier said an apology would allow both the state and First Peoples to reconcile with their past.
“To move forward as a society, and to mend wrongs and heal wounds, the state needs to publicly reckon with its role in perpetrating injustice. It takes more than just admitting the historical facts, though they are important,” she said.
“Apologising provides space for healing and creates hope that together, the State and First Peoples can reconcile with their past.
“It provides the opportunity to transform the relationship and rebuild it in the service to all Victorians.”
Ms Allan said she was prepared to make an apology at an appropriate time in the future.
She said the First People’s Assembly, the organisation tasked with negotiating treaty with the state government, would consult with the Victorian Aboriginal community on the form the apology will take.
Source: The Australian
