Between the 1950s and mid-1970s, approximately 150,000 babies of unwed, mostly teenage mothers were adopted by childless married couples in Australia. The national apology to separated mothers, fathers and children harmed by the forced- adoption practices widespread throughout Australia in the postwar period was delivered by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, on March 21. This apology was in keeping with the spate of official apologies for past policies that have been issued in recent times in Australia and overseas. These occasions give politicians the opportunity to choose the mistakes and errors they say “sorry” for. The general rule is that…