This post is being continually updated with links to commentary on the Apology
Today, for the first time, indigenous people performed a Welcome to Country ceremony at the Opening of the Parliament of Australia. Kevin Rudd’s hope is that this innovation of the 42nd Parliament will become a permanent Parliamentary tradition. I heard some of the speech of the Ngambri elder Matilda House Williams on the radio, and was deeply moved by her simple telling of how an indigenous man who attended an early parliament in traditional dress was asked to leave as he was not dressed “properly”, yet here she was barefoot beside the Prime Minister, both honouring the other.
The full text of tomorrow’s Parliamentary apology to the Stolen Generation is here. Excerpt:
We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.
We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.
For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.
To the mothers and fathers, the brothers and sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.
And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.
We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.
ABC News Online will stream Kevin Rudd’s apology from 8:55am AEDT on Wednesday. The apology will also be broadcast on ABC TV and ABC Local Radio.
I plan to add a roundup of posts from Australian blogs regarding the apology here over the next few days, and probably a few O.S. reactions as well. If I miss any, please let me know.
UPDATE: The formal apology and the accompanying address from Kevin Rudd were delivered to an attentive chamber and ended with a standing ovation.
“The nation is calling on us the politicians to move beyond our infantile bickering, our point scoring, our mindlessly partisan politics and elevate this one, at least this one, area of national responsibility to a rare position beyond the partisan divide.”
Brendan Nelson’s address failed to rise to either the occasion or to the call for an end to point-scoring. It started well, but later passages led to visitors walking out of the gallery, people outside turning their backs on the screen wherein he was shown, and potentially hijacking the impact of the apology on the indigenous people who have waited for this day for so long.
Links Roundup
The speeches
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s full address appended to the formal apology.[Summary from SBS]
Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson’s full address text.
MSM responses
ABC: Cheers, tears as Rudd says ‘sorry’
SMH: Kevin Rudd says sorry
BBC: Australia Apology to Aborigines
HeraldSun: Nelson comments draw indigenous anger
News.com.au: Britain urged to back Rudd apology
The Age: Time for nation to turn new page
ABC: Nelson missed the point: Keating
AAP: Brown defeated in ‘sorry’ compo bid
The Australian: Lib MP denies Stolen Generations exist
SMH (Saturday): Mike Carlton column
Blog commentary
Open apology thread on LP
Tim Dunlop
Ms Fits
Andrew Bartlett
Rachiel Siewert on Greensblog
Bernice Balconey
Pavlov’s Cat
susoz
Ampersand Duck
Laura at SillsBend
Beth at Sarsaparilla
James Farrell at Club Troppo
Apathetic Sarah
Harry Clarke
Tim Blair
Andrew Norton
hexpletive
The View From Elsewhere
I thought the first half of the text was great. Then I was smacked between the eyes with the dog-whistle. My curmudgeonly take:
I’d missed that as a potential dog-whistle. It does fit right into the beloved Pearsonite conservative-talk about cutting welfare dependence etc, doesn’t it?
Of course, “cutting welfare dependency” is a motherhood statement. Who wouldn’t rather see those who are depending on welfare find rewarding and meaningful paid employment? But just cutting welfare payments to one class of citizen with the idea that rewarding and meaningful employment will just magically appear to fill the gap is pure fantasy, and a mean-spirited fantasy at that.
Oh boy, I’m just listening to Nelson’s response right now– it’s making me cringe. He’s concerned about the feelings of the poor well-intentioned white people… :/
What a meandering waffle Nelson’s speech was. I’m not at all surprised that the people outside in Federation Square turned their backs on him (did some of the visitors in the gallery at Parliament do so as well?)
Right at the end, I saw a glimmer of the rhetorical intent: that good intentions then led to conditions which damaged indigenous people, and that good intentions now could do the same if (false dichotomy alert) the policies value cultural sensitivity above effectively addressing indigenous problems. He’s trying to defend the NT intervention against any dismantling.
But hell – what a tin ear for the requirements of the moment. Those sort of arguments could have waited for the later debate regarding the Joint Policy Commission and Rudd’s proposed Closing The Gap programs (both suggestions I hugely applaud).
Apparently some people in the gallery walked out during Nelson’s speech.
Re Nelson, I agree: what a tin ear.
Re Rudd’s speech: Lauredhel, I didn’t pick that up as a potential dog-whistle. I guess I was being more optimistic and seeing it as a “let’s work together” thing. I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt on it, but I’m sad to say … I’m going to wait and see.
Nobody ever mentions that it was ENGLAND, the Kingdom of England (it is not even a Country) which stole this fabulous island from it’s traditional occupants.
England owes reparation to every one of the descendants.
this could bring England to it’s knees.
First we send back every English-born (non-naturalised) person who is actually IN Australia right now.
All of them
No more Visas or pensions or employment.
It would be declaring war without a shot being fired.
Then, stop any Australian citizen from spending their tourist dollars IN the Kingdon of England.
We can bring a country to it’s knees without the Dept of Defence.
England owes the Traditional Owners of Terra Australis, and BIGTIME.
Brownie Bwca O’Dyne’s last blog post..Six O’Clock Swill
Back to Rudd’s actual speech: the text of the formal apology we saw yesterday, but I was impressed by Rudd’s accompanying address, and its emphasis on unconditionality respecting the apology offered. Best speech I’ve heard him make.
Well, if it’s not “mutual responsibility”, then maybe it’s non-indigenous Australians doing what they think is best for indigenous Australians, and we know now that taking that path leads to disaster. So I didn’t hear it as a dogwhistle either – more of an empowering thing, and a recognition of the need for partnership, rather than one group of people telling another group of people what to do.
Deborah’s last blog post..A day to remember
I’ve updated the post with some links to both MSM and blog commentary.
Reproducing here a comment by Pavlov’s Cat at LP:
I had a wry smile at the “post-Reformation theological debate” quip too.
According to the ABC afterwards, the Libs were unaware of the proposed Joint Indigenous Policy Commission.
Have you seen a transcript of this online? THanks.
Lauredhel’s last blog post..This is what we?re up against: ?Ironbar? Tuckey
I can’t find a transcript of the full address yet, although there’s plenty of copies of the text of just the formal apology. Might have to wait for Hansard.
SBS has a fairly comprehensive summary, and video of both the formal apology and the accompanying speech as well.
I found the full address, here.
Lauredhel’s last blog post..This is what we?re up against: ?Ironbar? Tuckey
Excellent. This was, I think, my favourite section:
This bit got me:
Lauredhel’s last blog post..This is what we?re up against: ?Ironbar? Tuckey
That bit made me cry.
Deborah’s last blog post..A day to remember
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Post updated with more links to blog commentary.
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Some good news: Support for the apology has increased since Rudd said sorry last week.
[...] a churlish, mannerless, and inappropriate speech [video here] in response to PM Kevin Rudd’s Apology to the Stolen Generation. Included in his speech was an misappropriation of Faye Lynam’s story, from the Many Voices [...]