On This Day: 13 February 2008. The National Apology to the Stolen Generations.

From the floor of Parliament, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered the National Apology to the Stolen Generations — acknowledging the deep harm caused by past government laws and policies that forcibly removed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, cultures and Country.

The apology was never about assigning personal blame.

It was not about telling today’s Australians — particularly non-Indigenous Australians — “you did this.” It was about saying, as a nation, “this was done in our name, and it was wrong.”

Many people ask, “Why should we be sorry if we didn’t do it?”

The answer is simple: being sorry is not about guilt — it is about recognition. It is about acknowledging the truth of history, the pain that still exists, and the fact that its consequences did not end when the policies did.

For survivors of the Stolen Generations, the apology was a moment of being seen and heard after decades of denial. For the nation, it was an invitation — to listen, to learn, and to move forward together with honesty and respect.

An apology does not rewrite history. But it does shape the future.

On this anniversary, it is worth remembering: reconciliation is not about division or blame. It is about understanding that a fairer Australia begins when we face the past together — and choose not to turn away.

Acknowledgement is not accusation.

It is responsibility.