A formal inquiry later found that alcoholism and child sexual abuse were widespread in remote Aboriginal communities of the Territory. In response, in 2007, the government of John Howard introduced a series of measures aimed at addressing the problem. It is often referred to as "the intervention". The measures were seen as racially discriminatory by many people, including Forrester. He was already a leader in Muṯitjulu at the time. In February 2008, he travelled to the Tent Embassy in Canberra to hear the new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, formally say sorry to the members of the Stolen Generations. While he was there, he talked with other indigenous people from the Territory about the effects of the intervention. The group then met with politicians at Parliament House to discuss their demands. Forrester called the intervention an "occupation" of indigenous lands by the military, and demanded that the polices be stopped. He encouraged Aboriginal people in the Territory to disobey the intervention laws in protest.