The Uluru agreement
The recent Uluru meeting of indigenous Australians recommended to the Federal Government a council of indigenous persons that would advise Federal parliament on matters affecting indigenous Australians.
This body would be like a group of honorary parliamentarians with the government of the day turning to it for advice on how to progress indigenous affairs.
The people at the Uluru gathering felt this was a step towards true reconciliation for the First Australians and it would also lead to them being recognised in Australia's constitution, but the wanted this body first.
I believe it would work wonderfully well as representation could reflect the various Aboriginal communities across Australia and through these representatives local issues would come to the fore. It would be change from the grass roots up rather than the top down approaches of the past.
In its so called wisdom the Turnbull federal conservative government rejected the proposal for this representative body. I can only think that they were spooked that the next step would be Aboriginal persons asking for fiscal compensation for the wrongs that commenced from white settlement in 1788. Why should we as a modern multicultural democracy be nervous about this. Aboriginal culture(s) was all but obliterated and I heard today that academics had calculated that in the state of Queensland alone 62,000 indigenous persons lost their lives trying to fight off the white invaders who without compensation seized their tribal lands.
This 60,000 year civilisation is part of Australia's history and as author Robert Flannery, in an address to the Press Club of Australia on 18 April 2018, said "...it cannot be ignored". If we are to become true Australians we must recognise this ancient culture. Our pollies need to get on with it. We the great unwashed expect them to do just that.
Less concern for the stability of their own political positions would be a great start. In open business if you mess up you go under one way or another. Politicians seem to be able to mess up again and again and yet remain in their jobs. Largesse in major proportions is needed in Canberra with pollies with the guts to make decisions that give confidence to the voters. I just hope Australia becomes a republic before I die and that part of that republic is indigenous Australians being in no doubt that they are an integral and vital part of being Australian.
May the Force be with you!
GD
This body would be like a group of honorary parliamentarians with the government of the day turning to it for advice on how to progress indigenous affairs.
The people at the Uluru gathering felt this was a step towards true reconciliation for the First Australians and it would also lead to them being recognised in Australia's constitution, but the wanted this body first.
I believe it would work wonderfully well as representation could reflect the various Aboriginal communities across Australia and through these representatives local issues would come to the fore. It would be change from the grass roots up rather than the top down approaches of the past.
In its so called wisdom the Turnbull federal conservative government rejected the proposal for this representative body. I can only think that they were spooked that the next step would be Aboriginal persons asking for fiscal compensation for the wrongs that commenced from white settlement in 1788. Why should we as a modern multicultural democracy be nervous about this. Aboriginal culture(s) was all but obliterated and I heard today that academics had calculated that in the state of Queensland alone 62,000 indigenous persons lost their lives trying to fight off the white invaders who without compensation seized their tribal lands.
This 60,000 year civilisation is part of Australia's history and as author Robert Flannery, in an address to the Press Club of Australia on 18 April 2018, said "...it cannot be ignored". If we are to become true Australians we must recognise this ancient culture. Our pollies need to get on with it. We the great unwashed expect them to do just that.
Less concern for the stability of their own political positions would be a great start. In open business if you mess up you go under one way or another. Politicians seem to be able to mess up again and again and yet remain in their jobs. Largesse in major proportions is needed in Canberra with pollies with the guts to make decisions that give confidence to the voters. I just hope Australia becomes a republic before I die and that part of that republic is indigenous Australians being in no doubt that they are an integral and vital part of being Australian.
May the Force be with you!
GD
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