I am sorry for the hardship and suffering inflicted upon the stolen generation of indigenous Australians.
Kevin Rudd's speech and motion in parliament today was inspiring and long overdue. I strongly endorse his speech and approach towards both saying sorry to the stolen generation and taking real bipartisan action towards addressing the ongoing problems facing indigenous Australians.
Consultation and engagement with indigenous Australians will be key to improving key concerns facing communities such as employment, education, health, infant mortality, life expectancy and substance abuse.
We need to cease paternalistic interventions and work together towards real and lasting solutions and improvements.
We have said sorry and acknowledged the hurt and suffering of the stolen generation and those others so deeply affected by them being taken. Now it is time to move forward, set real goals and and take some real cooperative action to close the gaps between indigenous and other Australians.
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Postscript: I avoided mentioning Brendan Nelsons inappropriate speech following Kevin Rudd in which he said “sorry, but” then proceeded to attack indigenous Australians.
Nelson’s twaddle and tripe was crafted to appease the racists and bigots in the Liberal Party, many of whom voted for him as leader, and who supported the racist NT intervention and 10 years of denial and denigration of the stolen generation. Of course not all Liberal MPs are racists and bigots, but quite obviously a significant number are.
What is Nelson going to do about his miscreant MPs who deigned to not show up for (or bail out of) the apology - for personal reasons, rather than representative ones.
Those absent have been confirmed as Liberal MPs Sophie Mirabella (who has also denied the existence of a Stolen Generation), Wilson Tuckey, Don Randall, Alby Schultz, Dennis Jensen. And what about the recalcitrant Chris Pearce and his public fidgeting?
Sack ‘em all Brendan, for allowing their personal prejudices to dictate their actions rather than representing their electorates. Sheer bloody mindedness and disrespect. Shame.
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