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- Sep 15, 2011
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When Aboriginal people have equal conditions (pay, living standards, life expectancy etc), then you can say they have an equal voice. They don’t, so you can’t.My problem with all special rights and acknowledgements for Aboriginal people is purely this. We are a modern democracy and everyone's voice should be equal otherwise all you are doing is engendering systemic racism into future generations. Poor people in particular of other backgrounds will feel slighted and there will be a continued generational 'what about me' feeling.
The past is the past and we can't change it. You can only say sorry so many times as a government for something that no-one in any position of power had any control over and almost no-one has a living memory of now.
There are more direct immigrants and people of chinese heritage in Australia by 60plus % than Aboriginal people and roughly the same amount of Indian people in Australia as aboriginal people. (this includes anyone who identifies as aboriginal and can have anywhere from 0% heritage upwards as there is no burden of proof to prove heritage on the census) To put it into perspective Australia has a population that is now above 50% for first or second generation immigrants.
If you want to move the day then move the day but it has to be one of national significance of when Australia became distinctly Australia and not a british colony or similar. I mean even if its purely on the date when constitutionally Aboriginals gained the same rights as historical white australians such as the referendum date on the 27th of May 1967 (Liberal holt government 90%+ vote on referendum). But would that even be considered acceptable or just result in as much backlash. (this also ties in with the changes to immigration introduced by the liberal Holt government) Or do you take it further to the effective date of changes made by the Whitlam government in 1973 (Labor government)
Do you make the date in October due to the 2016 government formal reaffirmation of racial respect (I don't have the exact date on hand for this). These are the points at that time. (Malcom Turnbull Liberal government)
Personally I think the third point is actually discriminatory to all others but those were the points.
- reaffirms its commitment to the right of all Australians to enjoy equal rights and be treated with equal respect regardless of race, colour, creed or origin
- reaffirms its commitment to maintaining an immigration policy wholly non-discriminatory on grounds of race, colour creed or origin
- reaffirms its commitment to the process of reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, in the context of redressing their profound social and economic disadvantage
- reaffirms its commitment to maintain Australia as a culturally diverse, tolerant and open society, united by an overriding commitment to our nation, and its democratic institutions and values and
- denounces racial intolerance in any form as incompatible with the kind of society we are and want to be.' The statement was supported by the Opposition Leader and carried unanimously.
The only real long term solution in regards to a date change if you are going to have one is when Australia becomes a republic and changing it to that date. But even then you are still going to get backlash from Aboriginal Australians as they aren't significantly noted.
I will also be voting no on an Aboriginal voice to parliament on the basis that its basis is discriminatory to others and that all peoples votes should carry the same weight (that is my position and the basis of democracy). Remember we already have a minister in government for Aboriginal affairs. (this is a primary ministry whilst the ministry for immigration, citizenship and multicultural affairs is an outer ministry meaning there is already a governmental parliamentary imbalance favouring Indigenous Australians)
People also need to remember no matter what you do you can't please everyone. I firmly believe in equal constitutional rights for all people as that is the closest to fair that you can get. Every campaign group no matter the issue over time don't ask for equality they ask for more rights than others as they feel slighted or have actually been slighted by the past. However you can't change the past you can only legislate for the now and the future.
Lastly at some point in time people need to accept responsibility for their own personal situation. As they say you can show people the door but they have to walk through it. If people want to improve their lives, the lives of their families, their children and their children's children the buck rests on each individuals back.
In regards to politics it has been my long held view that WA should secede and become it's own country as we are downright played for fools at federal level in regards to taxation, funds distribution amongst a whole host of other things. But that's a topic for another day. Either way it is only going to affect my son and his children not myself as I will be retiring overseas in the near future.