Western Australia will follow Victoria in holding an inquiry into forced adoption, following two years of campaigning by people who were adopted out as children and mothers who were forced to give up their babies.
Key points:
- WA has announced it will hold a parliamentary inquiry into forced adoptions
- The practice was common across Australia between the 1940’s and early 80’s
- Campaigners say the ongoing harm of forced adoption needs to be acknowledged
A parliamentary committee this afternoon confirmed an inquiry would be held after both sides of politics indicated support for it in recent days.
Premier Mark McGowan on Tuesday revealed a personal connection to the issue upon backing calls for an inquiry.
Survivors in Western Australia say little has been done to support them or restore their basic human rights since WA became the first state in the country to apologise for forced adoption in 2010.
Canberra man, Michael Hickey, who was adopted out as a newborn in Perth in 1960, has welcomed the announcement of the inquiry.
“The WA Government has already apologised but it hasn’t allowed the healing part to happen,” Mr Hickey said.
“It’s done the truth telling and said these nasty things happened but doesn’t acknowledge that there are ongoing harms.”
Non-contact law ‘enemy of closure’
Mr Hickey said one of those ongoing harms was the existence of so-called “contact vetoes” which campaigners have labelled cruel and outdated.
He is one of about 8,000 Australians barred from contacting family members under a veto, which in this case has been taken out by his biological mother who he has never met.
“The contact veto itself is preserving a secret,” he said.
“It is the enemy of healing, it’s the enemy of closure.”
Forced adoptions were common across Australia between the 1940’s and early 80’s.
A senate report found that there were between 140,000 and 150,000 total adoptions from 1950 and 1975.
Victoria held an inquiry in 2021 which has resulted in redress and counselling being made available for mothers forced to give up their babies.