JOHN Howard was the only living former prime minister to skip yesterday’s historic apology to indigenous Australia.

But among his former Liberal colleagues, he was far from alone. At least six Liberal MPs and senators abstained from the apology, including West Australian MPs Wilson Tuckey, Don Randall and Dennis Jensen, NSW MP Alby Schultz and senator Concietta Fierravanti- Wells, and Victorian Sophie Mirabella, who last night questioned the existence of the Stolen Generations.

“It sickens me that two-year-old Aboriginal children are still being diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases,” Ms Mirabella said. “It has been reported that an Aboriginal-led taskforce on the `Stolen Generation’ in Victoria could not identify one truly `stolen’ child.”

Former Labor prime ministers Paul Keating, Bob Hawke and Gough Whitlam, with the Liberals’ Malcolm Fraser, were in Canberra forthe historic event. And former governor-general William Deane was present.

But for Mr Howard — whose government received the Bringing Them Home report in 1997 but never apologised to the Stolen Generations – – it was a day like any other, including his morning walk. Accompanied by security personnel in front and behind, and with a security car following, Mr Howard did not break his stride when asked if he wished he were in Canberra for the apology, merely saying “Good morning” as he ploughed on near his home.

Liberal Senate leader Nick Minchin told parliament Mr Howard should not be blamed for his government’s failure to say sorry.

“John Howard was not the barrier to an apology,” Senator Minchin said. “We were unashamedly focused on practical outcomes, but we can now acknowledge that was at the expense of important symbolic acts.”

Mr Tuckey, who loudly recited the Lord’s Prayer before the apology commenced, said he was not interested in the apology. “I am not in this house for tokenism. I went down there and prayed for those people. I put in my mind a prayer for those who seriously need help, but I heard nothing today that is going to do that.”

Senator Fierravanti-Wells abstained on the apology, which was carried in the Senate on the voices and did not involve a formal division where votes are recorded.

South Australian senator Cory Bernardi supported the apology, but gave a speech saying he felt “no guilt for what happened in Australia’s brief history” and complaining he had been set on by a “gang of Aboriginal youths” as a teenager in the Adelaide beachside suburb of Glenelg.

Victorian Liberal Chris Pearce attended but drew criticism for his decision to remain seated during the standing ovation at the end ofthe apology, and for reading a copy of a policy magazine during the proceedings.

Mr Jensen confirmed that he boycotted the apology. “Saying sorry is not going to solve anything — it’s wallpaper,” he said.

Liberal leader Brendan Nelson refused to condemn the behaviour of the boycotting MPs, saying they had a right to their opinion.

Liberal senator Ian Macdonald was in the Senate for the apology, but told parliament he could not apologise for things that happened 60 years ago, because he was not personally responsible.