A small group of Liberal MPs, led by backbencher Wilson Tuckey, boycotted yesterday’s apology to the Stolen Generations in the House of Representatives. 

Tuckey, the member for O'Connor in Western Australia, was in the chamber for the Lord's Prayer but left before Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered the apology to a packed House. 

Former prime minister, John Howard, also stayed away from a ceremony which was witnessed by all Australia's other surviving former prime ministers. 

Tuckey has been outspoken in his opposition to the apology to the Stolen Generations & came under fire for criticising plans for the traditional Indigenous welcome ceremony at the opening of Federal Parliament yesterday. 

At the time, Tuckey said that was not what Parliament was for. 

"I'm horrified & concerned that we're going to turn the Parliament of Australia into a dance parlour," he said. 

But many of the nation's leaders were at today's ceremony, including state & territory Premiers and former governor-general Sir William Deane. 

The audience of hundreds of Stolen Generations members cheered Bob Hawke & Gough Whitlam & Indigenous leader Lowitja O'Donohue hugged Malcolm Fraser, who has campaigned with her for the Stolen Generations. 

Some in the audience wept during the apology & there was passionate cheering & a standing ovation after Mr Rudd's words. 

The applause was much more restrained for Dr Nelson's speech, which offended some with its reference to child sex abuse.