towards them". Criticisms The Howard Government rejected some elements of the findings of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families, notably the recommendation for an "apology". John Herron, then Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, said "the government does not support an official national apology. Such an apology could imply that present generations are in some way responsible and accountable for the actions of earlier generations; actions that were sanctioned by the laws of the time and that were believed to be in the best interests of the children concerned". Prime Minister John Howard believed that the term "apology" would suggest inter-generational guilt, and therefore left out the word "sorry" from his Motion of Reconciliation. Other criticisms centred on the evidentiary standards applied. The Inquiry had sought to provide an opportunity to discover the experiences of people removed from their families. It was anticipated that given the trauma witnesses had experienced that they would be at risk of further trauma if they were to be cross examined on their testimony and their evidence challenged. Acting on this judgment the Report, Bringing them Home was written on the evidence presented. Among a number of criticisms of the report, also reflected in the arguments of those arguing the impact of the events described were exaggerated or minimising or denying their occurrence this "failure" to "prove the evidence" was considered critical, a number of other criticisms were made, chief among the critics were John Herron and Ron Brunton. A number of responses, some critical, responded to the points raised Herron and Brunton. Many of these arguments continue into the present around the formal apology to the Stolen Generations of 13 February 2008. References External links Bringing Them Home Report Bringing them home: The 'Stolen Children' report Bringing Them Home oral history interviews at the National Library of Australia 1995 in Australia Political history of Australia Stolen Generations Human rights abuses in Australia Reparations