chrispy

Somewhat simplistic, building self belief and providing equal opportunities need to come first if you are to give someone hope and something to fight for. Knock a person down often enough and you break their spirit. The incredibly high level of suicide in Aboriginal males is not because they are lazy.

renth

Some communities have sorted themselves out and are living good lives, many are working. Other communities really do need to get their acts together, these are the ones where petrol sniff and booze is rife and people die young.

As for equal opportunity, one thing that rubs a lot of non-indigenous Aussies up the wrong way is the fact that there is more than equal opportunity i.e. positive discrimination programmes for any indigenous person who wants to study or work. Personally I support these programmes.

chrispy

I agree that seeing someone given an unfair advantage due to their origins would wind any reasonable people up the wrong way and you are right there are scholarships targeted specifically to Indigenous people but the vast majority don't get these opportunities as they are targeted to people who have attained an education. There are good communities and great schools out there but for the majority even if the school makes an effort there is no opportunity for either further education or even menial jobs when they leave school so they end up back at home with abusive environment and end up perpetrators of the same system

renth

With any luck the Rudd government will be the best one for a long time for helping indigenous people. A lot of people are doing a lot of good work. At the end of the day though they will need to help themselves, be it at the local, state and national level.

chrispy

I agree and the signs are good, i think more indigenous people have to be included in the advising and decison making process that effects their communities and funding of successful projects should be maintained long term and unsuccessful ones terminated Peopel do need to help themselves but give them something to aim for, at the end of the day it is all about allowing people similar opportunities to get on in life while recognising their cultural identity and trying to undo some of the policies that have caused so much damage. I for one cannot imagine being born into such a cycle of deprivation and violence.

esperanza

Yes it was silly, that was my point. I think when it comes to modernity you can't cherry pick - it's not realistic to demand the best of modern science & government alongside the best of life pre-colonisation. So essentially we all have to accept that this is the world we live in and make the best of it, and work towards a peaceful & equitable future, without harping on about past injustices.

(Not that I think peace & equity are realistic goals either, but they're still good things to aim for.)

Vash the Stampede

Yes, I support the apology.

I also support the payment of compensation to anyone whose right to compensation is proved in a court of law.

themerlin

Surely it's the people/generation who made the policy back then who should make the apology.

It's like getting the German people to apologise for Hitlers naughtyness.

esperanza

Have the Germans made an apology about the holocaust? I have a feeling they may have done...

It's interesting to try and blame 'the government' though, because in reality those who governed were elected by people who supported their policies and who agreed with their implementation, passively or otherwise. So you could argue that it is really 'the people' who were to blame as much as the individuals in govt.

chrispy

I think that the problem is that those affected would like recognition for what are relatively recent injustices (done in my life time) made on behalf of Australia by the Government with the aim that this will improve chances of reconciliation and rebuilding of relationships. It might also remove the suspicion that future administrations will implement cynical poorly thought out policies on Indigenous populations in the future such as the Northern Territories intervention.

deryans

Totally agree, as regards the plight of the Aborigines, I have travelled around more remote areas (by light aircraft), some communities work (mostly those that are dry(no alco) and have a Mine or a work program attached - Borrorula for example), Ayers rock community, yulara is a complete s*** hole, little 3 year old aborigine girls holding hands up to tourists coming back from the bar whilst her parents are anesthisied on their seats around the corner in the "black" drinking area. A disgrace.

Mouthwash rationing in Darwhine, because the Aborigines get , or try to get drunk on it, Serious public order and aparthied by proxy in Katherine, Black Fella's pub and white fella's pub. I could go on , but you get my Idea.

White guys don't go out after dark.

I want my children to live in a country that takes care of it's responsibility to it's people, shows compassion , respect and altruism, not some selfish "I'm all right jack" model whereby we worry about compensation - boo hoo, what difference would 2 billion to the aborigines make to me personally ? Not a bloody thing, what difference would it make if it were used to get these people back their self esteem and how would Australia then look to the outside world ?

Onya Rudd, atta boy!!!

Good Riddance Howard, you made this country a selfish place, going to be a few years to get it back, but Rudd is making all the right moves!!


oh, and as to the responsibility of not making an apology for what previous governments did, they you are mistaken, A Government is defined by it's State Act (it's birthday) and can therefore be regarded as an entity responsible for it actions THROUGH-OUT-ITS-ENTIRE life.

Amazulu

A whole shitload of Tooheys New and Bundy and Coke.

asprilla

themerlin

Thats a good point where would the compensation end up.

esperanza

That all makes sense, hence I support the idea of an apology that acknowledges regret at past events. I just think that the apology does not need to come in the form of financial compensation to individuals.
Actually a lot of money has been, is & will be dedicated to aboriginal welfare, through various programmes/initiatives, so I suppose that could be considered some sort of 'compensation'.