Honest John Finally Says Sorry

On a more serious note, Ken Parish dissects the HowardCo Emergency legislation for Native Australians. Also Pommygranate weighs in with surprising support, given his libertarian leanings, but like me, what do expat Scots and Poms know about this complex and difficult area. All the same we both feel comfortable to weigh in.

I was surprised what a small proportion of Australias population this issue was addressing. I read somewhere that it is about one percent of the population.

This is an ugly relic of Australias history and the debate is very polarised. It reminds me of the polarisation of the divide in America with colour, predominantly blacks. This is the Howard Government wiping their hands (or should that be their bum) of this ugly wart from the past. They have been in power for over 10 years and it is all hands on deck less than six months before the next election. Call me cynical. These are intractable, long term deeply rooted problems that will not be solved by General Mal Brough occupying and controlling aboriginal communities, in the same way that the surge in Iraq will fail.

In America, the native American divide is not so polarised, with significant programmes to mainstream that population, continuing to take place and massive economic contributions to the native American population. That is not to say that there are not many similar problems on the reservations themselves. I have been on some of the American reservations and they are very depressing soulless places from a visitors perspective.

It is the lack of hope in these communities that I see as the biggest challenge. That and all those years of doing nothing. No wonder everyone is cynical.

1967 Referendum. What did it Achieve?

Forty years after the 1967 Referendum, including native Australians in the Census and providing them with greater resources, there is still a huge economic, political and cultural divide between them and more mainstream communities. Aboriginals have a life expectancy of 17 years less than other Australians, there are endemic health and social problems such as alcohoholism, violence and poverty. Many aboriginal communities are isolated and do not have access to basic services. All the hallmarks of a benign apartheid. The current focus of the government is integration, with moves to encourage learning English, skills, health, education, job skills. A huge task.

Paul Kelly in the Australian looks at the legacy of the landmark referendum.