ative Title Amendment Act 1998 did not entirely benefit the Aborigines because this Amendment Act explicitly extinguished native title rights on pastoral leases. The Labor Party also has strong policies in regards to the issue of land rights. Policies of the Beazley Labor Party in regards to Aboriginal land rights include native title being recognised as a property right by the common law of Australia. Native title holders are entitled to the complete protection of the law in utilising their rights, this protection also includes sacred sites. Land Councils are to be sufficiently resourced and conferred statutory responsibilities for the representation of Aboriginal interests in regards to land. The Labor Party also strongly feel that access to land and security of title are necessary to allow indigenous Australians to fully utilise their economic, social and cultural rights. One of the most disputed and probably by far the most emotional issue for those involved, is that of the Stolen Generation. The Stolen Generation involves children of mixed descent, and sometimes fully descended children, being forcibly removed from their Aboriginal parents in an intentional policy of separating them from the influence of their indigenous culture, and thus forcing them to live as non-indigenous people. This became known as the policy of assimilation. Former governments, including the current one, have begun to offer remedies to begin changing what has been done. One such example of beginning to right the wrongs is in the form of the Bringing Them Home Report, which was commissioned by the previous government, in August 1995, and tabled in May 1997. The report stated that facilitating family reunions is the most essential and vital requirement of separated families. In light of the overall report, the Liberal government developed a package consisting of $63 million in order to address family separation and its consequences, concentrating on family re...
