- Staff
- #26
Absolutely none.
FFS, 'blood' has zero to do with it.
At Uni I received AUSTUDY not ABSTUDY. If I were to walk into Centrelink and claim ABSTUDY i would be defrauding the government as I don't identify with (nor suffer any of the disadvantages of) Indigenous Australian culture. I might as well fake a mental condition and get myself on the Disability support pension for the extra dollars.
All for reasons outlined in my post above. I.e. I don't identify myself (or am identified as) an Indigenous Australian (as required by Law). I also don't suffer from any of the unique set of disadvantages that (sadly) plague Indigenous Australians.
Should I have been raised in that environment It may very well be a different story.
To put things in perspective, my Mum (and I) may very well be able to trace our ancestry through her English origins, and conversely I (and my Father) can my ancestry through his Scottish/ Indigenous origins. But you wont see me playing either the Bagpipes or the Didgeridoo, eating a Haggis or singing God Save the Queen anytime soon.
And If I ever were to trace my Indigenous 'roots' (as I am preparing to do next year with my UK roots via a 6 month stay in the UK) I would have no legal entitlement to things such as Native Title etc. Just as I have no legal entitlement to ABSTUDY.
And FWIW, those 'financial benefits' you discuss seek to even out the playing field between the advantaged in society and the disadvantaged in society (just like a sliding Tax scale, AUSTUDY, Disability support pension, Workers Comp etc).
