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Stolen Generation & "Sorry"
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| pkcRAISTLIN |
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PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd said the Government will apologise to indigenous Australia's stolen generations when parliament resumes next month, but will not establish a compensation fund.
Mr Rudd said his campaign promise would be realised during the parliament's first sitting, but did not give a date for the formal apology.
He said the apology was necessary because long-standing problems plaguing indigenous communities could not be addressed until it was made.
"The intention is to build this bridge of respect between indigenous and non-indigenous Australia," Mr Rudd told Channel 7.
"(Then) we can get on with the business of closing the gap in terms of life expectancy, education levels and health levels between indigenous and non-indigenous communities."
He reiterated a promise that no compensation fund would be established following the apology.
"We will not be establishing any compensation funds," Mr Rudd said.
He also said individual Australians have the right to oppose the move, saying the apology was not coming from the non-indigenous citizens.
"We'll be making it clear that we'll be speaking in the government's name," he said.
"The judgment I have made is ... let's get this symbolic act of apology right and then let's move on together.
"Both symbols and substance are important - that's the truth of it."
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Gets my support. An apology from the government for previous policy failures, not an apology from the rest of us, no compensation.
I think that's a nice middle-road position for big kev to be taking. hopefully this can end the whinging from both sides. |
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| Fledz |
| I can support that. I didn't like the fact that people wanted all of us to apologise as I have nothing to apologise for but a middle ground is good as I recognise that there are problems. |
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| 00soups00 |
Agreed.. think it is a nice way of apologising for something that the majority of us have had no part in, however we need to acknowledge and recognise that it did happen.
Well done Mr Rudd... |
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| anarky |
| Good thing it'll ONLY be an apology and only words. Lol to whoever realises that liability has been established and they start on a class action for the rest of them. |
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| limitedtimeonly |
Agreed, apology is long over due and warrented. But its more a 'we recognise that yes this did occur and we are sorry for it happening' not a direct acceptance of responsibility which it shouldn't be because as its been said its not the current people in office's fault.
Indigenous people, especially the elders that continually bring the issue up and demand compensation and say sorry is not enough, need to move on (not forget, but move on) for the sake of the younger generations coming through if any forward progress is to made |
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| MiSSyM |
They should get compensated.
They deserve MUCH much much more!
Imagine being taken away from your family at a young age, losing part of your identity.....who knows what else......abuse-psychological & emotional & physical, witnessing family members die or getting raped!
One can simply not forget that, especially if your own government cant fess up & acknowledge THAT IT DID INDEED HAPPEN!
This is Australia's history too, not just the Captain Cook/convict side of things!
It needs to be addressed & shouldve been so a long time ago.
:) |
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| pkcRAISTLIN |
| quote: | Originally posted by MiSSyM
They should get compensated.
They deserve MUCH much much more!
:) |
the problem with that is how do you justify taxing today's australians for the crimes commited by other people? its a hard sell. |
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| anarky |
| quote: | Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN
the problem with that is how do you justify taxing today's australians for the crimes commited by other people? its a hard sell. |
By educating today's Australian's on the disparities between Aborigines and non-Aborigines in todays legal system. In many respects Indigenous Australians are the typical profile of a conquered and colonised people. They only count for 2 per cent of the population, and are an impoverished minority.
Further:
- The life expectancy of Aboriginal people is 20-21 years less than the general population.
- Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders are more than four times as likely to die as non-Aboriginal people if less than 30, and seven times more likely to die (if over 30).
- 13.6 per cent of Indigenous people have tertiary degrees, compared with 34.4 per cent of all Australians.
- The unemployment rate is 22.7 per cent for Indigenous people, compared with 9.2 percent for the general population.
- 30.8 per cent of Indigenous households owned or were purchasing their lands, compared with 70 per cent of all Australians.
These are just some of the differences between Aborigines and non-Aborigines. Some of these issues are far greater than why some people in Australia receive compensatory funds due to a form of 'hardship' that they endure. For example, when a single mother gets an extra few hundred a month for their child, no one decides to protest against it because there is and understanding throughout society of what is involved with that. Same goes with a disability or a victims of war fund.
Just because the stolen generation was done many decades ago, it doesn't mean that the Australian government should not apologise for what happened in the past. In doing so they are admitting fault in the Australian government system as a legal body where a wrong has been committed in the past and although it has not continued, there is a strong presence of that wrong in our society. If no fault was admitted, there would never be change and without change, well, I don't have to explain that one.. |
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| narcism |
| its a great thing, go kevin :D |
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| MiSSyM |
ANARKY WELL SAID!
+ 1 and so much more........I could go on forvever about this topic.
lol pkc, just like the German government are still paying compo to Holocaust survivor/family victims, Im sure something 'could' be arranged!
But sad to say I doubt it will ever ever happen. |
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| charlee |
| quote: | Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN
the problem with that is how do you justify taxing today's australians for the crimes commited by other people? its a hard sell. |
Exactly the same way my taxes pay for some rapist to sit in a jail cell or to appeal their sentence.
I'd much rather my money go to the aboriginals than some gang rapist who cares nothing for the morals of this society.
That being said, I fkn love Kevin Rudd and its about bloody time. |
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| JayseP |
| quote: | Originally posted by charlee
That being said, I fkn love Kevin Rudd and its about bloody time. |
+1.. love the khunt |
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