Howard is OUT as PM of Australia. What does this mean for Aboriginal Australians?

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Colin C

Howard had 11 years to heal wounds with Aboriginal Australia but left to the last few months in the lead up to an elections to intervene in the NT and announce a constitutional referendum to acknowledge the first Australians in a preamble.He abolished ATSIC Aboriginal Australia,s political voice.In 2000 he chose not to walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the 500,000 people for reconciliation.Aboriginal Australia will be a better place without him

Colin
www.aboriginalaustralia.com

waltzsingmatilda

Why are they different than us?
I guess they do have a piece of rag with a picture of the sun,with a bit of good management the Government will ban that.

Jessie

I actually SAW a interview with Rudd and he said that if he was going to be voted in he was going to say "Sorry". I think.. to get things rolling.

And it's one of the reasons I felt confident in voting in Rudd... but! But, will he actually do it?

But Why??

same stuff, different day.....

krakkatinni

Thanks Liwie, at least you base your argument on facts - & not sentiments & emotions like others in here.

Rudd has already backed down on saying that he will say "sorry". He now has the same policy as John Howard (because he has had legal advice re the ramifications). If the word "sorry" is used lawyers & allegedly displaced people, & their descendants, will be lining up making compensation claims.

Both Howard & Rudd have said they apologised for what has happened in the past but both will not take responsibility & say "sorry". Even that bald-headed rocker wont say the word, now that he has to toe the party lines.

Livvie

My opinion:

We should NOT apologize.

It may have been wrong, but at the time, it was right.

Are the Italians apologizing to the British for invading their country 2000 years ago? No.

Everyone needs to move on and get over it. Aboriginals need to stop feeling sorry for themselves, put the petrol down, and go get an education.

If Rudd says sorry, I will dislike him even more. He can't speak well- why should he speak for out country.

Ergot W

Hard to tell - Rudd has been very cautious. I hope things will go well once they have access to the many (I hope) willing to help in implementing decent equitable policies.

Livvie is wrong in saying that whatever she means was legal at the time was so. If she means robbing aboriginal people of their land, no, they had instructions not to do that, but to treat them as British subjects, which was not done, and if she emans stealing children from their families, no, that wasn't either legal or moral at the time or any time.

Mjollnir

According to Noel Pearson, not much. Many Aboriginals don't vote. They see no reason to differentiate between political parties, which treat them with condescension, paternalism and ignorance, despite the colour of their politics.

heymumma1

maybe, finally, they will get the apology they have been waiting for!

Big Cox

Why should they be looked on & treated different to other Australians?

If they work & pay their taxes - no problem.

SAnnMarie

It was not legal at the time.
The stolen generation was not MORAL or LEGAL.
This practice of taking their children was occurring during the 60's and 70's, and the UN intervened. It was a disgusting act. It completely disregarded their rights as humans, even at a time when the world was embracing and enforcing human rights.

munro5112

Rudd will open his yap and then we will be up for millions of compensation.. hey its not us that settled Australia it was the English. I say NO to Sorry! And what will they do with the money, spend it on booze and molest younger women in their drunken state. The Aboriginal is a proud and great race but their drinking is their down fall. They have no real control over their drinking and saying sorry will only give them more money to ruin this great race only 200 plus years out of the stone age. sorry is not the answer but some form of re-education into the 21st century to preserve them and their culture for the future as truly living history of one of the many many tribes that have come here to live.

molly

Hopefully it will be a chance to move on instead of back and we can't do that until we have acknowledged our past and stop pretending it happened thousands of years ago when it was still happening in 1968.
Livvie do have children how would feel if someone pulled up in front of your house and ripped them out of your arms and if you don't I am sure you have parents and grandparents imagine your life if you didn't meet them until you were 24 like my mother-in-law did.

Tomunro below my father-in-law was a product of rape by a white station owner and that was ninety years ago did you ever wonder were all those half caste children come from and don't say it was women that took advantage of the men because they didn't have any rights in their country.

guy0307

Rudd's probably gonna apologize.

Elizabeth

From the Official Website of the Australian Labor Party.
ALP Policy

Indigenous & Reconciliation.

Federal Labor's Additional $20 Million Boost To Improve Health Services In The Northern Territory - Official Election Policy Document
Indigenous Economic Development Statement (206 Kbytes)

Federal Labor's Commitment To Jobs And Economic Development For Indigenous Communities - Official
Election Policy Document
Indigenous Economic Development Statement (206 Kbytes)

Customary Law
Supporting Economic Independence Of Torres Straight Islander Communities
Constitutional Recognition Of Indigenous Australians
Federal Labor To Create Up To 300 Rangers As Part Of Indigenous Economic Development Strategy
Labor Welcomes Yarrabah Indigenous Community Mou
International Declaration On The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples
Federal Labor Plan To Get Remote Aboriginal Children To Enrol In School
Indigenous Australia AFP Recruitment Strategy
Federal Labor Will Put Pearson Plan Into Action
New Directions: Indigenous children
Mums And Bubs Health Initiative To Help Tackle 17-year Indigenous Life Expectancy Gap

for more information go to:
http://www.alp.org.au/policy/index.php#indigenous_&_reconciliation

CreativeMusicArtist

I dont think that will be clear for a few months, but an apology is a good start.

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