Actually reading the article again, I fully agree that he cancelled it for the wrong reasons but maintain it was the right call (by accident) as the program has been running for two years and ZERO bases appear to have been dual named indicating that as I said it is far more expensive and complex than just signs.Your response is incorrect and woefully uninformed. Reflecting pre-held prejudices rather than facts.
For the record, the program to change base names to reflect the indigenous history of their location is a small but important part of the latest iteration of a comprehensive Defence Reconciliation Action Plan that first started under the Rudd Government and is now in its 15th year.
This paragraph from the 2019-22 D-RAP provides an understanding of its intent:
The Department of Defence has made great strides throughout its reconciliation journey, and has remained dedicated to developing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, peoples, and communities. In 2018, the Department spent over $455 million with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, and had 605 contracts.
In this Stretch RAP, the Department of Defence has committed to being further guided by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, and aims to research the impacts of its past policies and relationships with First Nations peoples. The Department does this with a view to learn and grow from history while being transparent.
Why Dutton decided to dump this particular low cost component of D-RAP for a Department that last year spent $3.5 Billion of taxpayers money is anyone's guess. But I suspect he, the guy who walked out of the apology to the stolen generations, just got triggered by thought of one of his agencies recognising indigenous culture. And cutting this little sub program was away of signalling to his far-right supporters where he stood on the issue without getting called out publicly for it (until now).
Another demonstration of just how soft this Peter Dutton guy is. But not in the way he would like everyone to think he is.
Give new bases indigenous names from the start and kill the program for existing bases until it can be done in a realistic time frame and cost (fix the wasteful Canberra bureaucracy first).
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