Motions
Forced adoptions
Notice of motion
Hon Michelle Hofmann gave notice that at the next sitting of the house she would move:
That this house:
(a) acknowledges the findings of the 66th report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Public Affairs, Broken Bonds, Fractured Lives: Report on the Inquiry into Past Forced Adoption in Western Australia, which documents the harrowing lived experiences of thousands of mothers, fathers and adopted persons separated by historical practices between 1939 and 1980;
(b) recognises that these practices of separating children from their birth mother caused lifelong trauma, violated fundamental human rights, and were enabled by systemic failures of state government agencies, health services and private institutions;
(c) notes the government's decision to reject key recommendations of the inquiry, including the right of adopted people to be notified of their adoption status, to access their full medical and genetic histories and to have both birth and adoptive parents recorded on birth certificates, thereby denying survivors truth, identity and recognition;
(d) further notes the government's failure to commit to a timely redress scheme and its decision to defer 14 critical recommendations, leaving many survivors fearful they will die without seeing justice;
(e) affirms the duty of this Parliament to ensure full transparency, access to records, and truth-telling measures to acknowledge past wrongs and promote healing; and
(f) calls on the government to immediately commit to implementing all outstanding recommendations, publish clear timelines for delivery, and adopt a comprehensive redress model, such as that implemented in Victoria, to provide financial compensation, specialist counselling and individual apologies.
