Australia: full video of Kevin Rudd's historic speech and apology to the Stolen Generations

hat tip to gruffybear for getting these all in the one place.

Australia's Apology to the Stolen Generations - Wednesday February 13, 2008

It's a bloody good piece of writing, it's long overdue, and perhaps it's also one big step closer to our nation eventually saying Thankyou. We wouldn't be who we are as a culture without the influence of Aboriginal peoples and nations from the moment modern Australia insisted on being born of blood. It's a big step for our nation to acknowledge seven decades of cultural genocide. I think that this action tomorrow by Kevin Rudd will ultimately have greater positive effect on domestic relationships and social politics within Australia than ratifying Kyoto has had on our international relationships. Tomorrow will be a real beginning and much more than the token gesture that some would like to reduce it to.



For all you international folks, that's our new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on the left. That's the leader of of the deceptively named Liberal opposition, Brendan Nelson, on the right. Brendan Nelson is an utter spoogemop, while Kevin Rudd is a Cantonese speaking diplomacy-Yoda with balls the size of a goat's head. Oh yeah, the text -

Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations – this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

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 the fathers, the brothers and the 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.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.

Check out the coverage at National Indigenous Times, as well as the excellent pre-Sorry Day coverage on the February 12 edition of the 7:30 Report

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Rejected By Usual Suspects

Finally, after 22 years of debate, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a non-binding declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. According to the BBC:

The treaty sets down protections for the human rights of native peoples, and for their land and resources.

The General Assembly passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, with 143 countries voting in favour and 11 abstaining.

Four countries voted against the measure, can you guess who? Well, unsurprisingly the opponents were Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. That these countries have large indigenous populations tells you all you need to know about their contemptuous regard for human rights. And who takes a large share of the blame? Why, our old friend John Howard of course. According to one report, Canada actually supported the declaration until Howard lobbied the Canadian government to reverse their position. Just another reason to give Howard a good kicking in the upcoming election. Mmmm, I feel a slideshow coming on.....

Howard a 'Racist Bastard' Says Maori MP

About time someone gave Howard what for.

An MP for New Zealand's Maori Party has labelled Australian Prime Minister John Howard a "racist bastard" for his radical intervention aimed at stopping child abuse in Aboriginal communities.

Hone Harawira's comments will screen on New Zealand television tonight.

"If I was an Aboriginal man in the Northern Territory I would feel like absolute shit right now," the Maori Party MP said today.

"I would have the leader of my country saying I am an alcoholic, I am into pornography, I am into sexual abuse. All I would want to do is go out and smash someone."

This is all due to Howard's crackdown on the Aboriginal community (recently raised by Germain Greer). This crackdown includes:

bans on alcohol and pornography, quarantining welfare payments, abolishing a permit system that limits access to remote communities, and mobilising extra police and troops to help address abuse and other problems.

Harawira also claimed that this was blatant electioneering by Howard:

"The report that he is basing his recommendations on is already 10 years old. Why didn't he do something about it back then?" he said.

"He never sat down with the land councils. He never said to them 'there is a problem here but we recognise that the best people to sort it out are yourselves, and here are all the resources'," he said.

No wonder Harawira added:

"I said John Howard is a racist bastard trying to impose racist policies on a people who can't fight back."

He won't get any argument from me.

John Howard Attacks Aboriginal Settlements

Melanie Phillips' object of affection gets a well deserved dressing down from Germaine Greer in today's Guardian. She examines his disgraceful policies in the Aboriginal homelands. Here's a little taster:

The name of the game, as usual, is bad faith. Everything Howard does is calculated to win him votes. The suffering of Aboriginal women and children at the hands of their deranged menfolk has been going on all Howard's life. For most of that time whitefellas made a joke of it. At this late hour, on the eve of a general election, he is suddenly taking it seriously. It is of no consequence that what he is doing is illegal. His treatment of asylum seekers and boat people is just as illegal, and it is widely admired by Australians and people who should know better.

To read the full article, click here.