The Greens oppose the CPRS not because it is too weak, but because it will point Australia in the wrong direction with little prospect of turning it around in the timeframe within which emissions must peak, says Senator Christine Milne.
Senior Liberals now reconciled and relaxed
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The first draft of history, however inaccurate, has an unfortunate tendency to persist, and one suspects that in years to come, Brendan Nelson’s speech in reply to the Prime Minister’s apology to the Stolen Generations will be known chiefly for how it was jeered and rejected. Nelson himself may make little further mark in our history. It’s hard to see him enduring a Howard-like vale of political sorrows before ascending into national leadership decades hence. Nonetheless, such an outcome from Wednesday is unfair on him and, as much as it sticks in the craw to say, unfair on the Coalition.
The Leader of the Opposition was probably never going to earn plaudits from the more professionally outraged of Aboriginal activists. And there were elements of his reply that were frankly political, or offered in an attempt to placate the Right, or weren’t entirely appropriate for the occasion. But unlike Rudd, who preferred high-flown political oratory (enough of “this great nation, Australia”, Prime Minister – I think we know which country we live in), Nelson’s reply suggested he had thought long and hard about the Stolen Generations, and wanted his countrymen to do likewise. Nelson’s speech wasn’t about “moving on”, but about stopping and thinking about what happened. The idea, offered by some Stolen Generation members, that Nelson had somehow ruined the day, suggests they didn’t bother listening to him at all. The antics of Sophie Mirabella, Wilson Tuckey and other Coalition buffoons are an easy target. Dennis Jensen, in particular, plumbed new depths when he denied there was a stolen generation, described an apology as “meaningless” and quoted a TV poll to justify himself. No wonder John Howard intervened to save his preselection. But have a look at what more senior conservatives said. This is Nick Minchin, who was boasting only last week of cruelling Malcolm Turnbull’s hopes over the apology:
And this, amazingly, is Eric Abetz, who usually inhabits the reactionary wastelands of the Liberal right:
Don’t let the colour and movement from either Left or Right obscure the fact that senior Liberals have come a long way. And if we’re serious about reconciliation, that should be recognised. |
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20 Comments
Tony Papafilis- A true Howardist always living in the past, pining for what once was, your short stature idol is gone, dead and buried, not likely to rise again to stifle with dictatorial panache the conscience of his party. All but to be deified by you.
Wilson Tuckey may have been right - sorry won’t change anything.
After all Rudd has said sorry and Wilson is still a d — -head!
You wont hear any apology for the past 40 years because the guys ( Messrs Whitlam, Hawke, Keating and Fraser ) being applauded in parliament, oversaw aboriginal policy for that period.They set up the “welfare” that Noel Pearson says is killing his people
Sorry has been said for the wrongs of the past. Who will say sorry in five or ten years hence for the wrongs being done now to Aboriginal children in Cape York and elsewhere?
A necessary and appropriate article about good flawed Liberals and some of their psychopathic mates. Nelson’s was a speech by a politician; Rudd’s went way beyond and gave all Aus a feeling in time and place beyond all imaginations. Why fight it, get it.
Sir Charles Court was bagged by Libs & Lab when Libs dumped him. Recently declared a legend by both sides. Menzies stature grew with time as his good government contrasted with poor governments that followed. Same will happen to Howard, and rightfully so.
Nice one again, Lucy. Perhaps we should allow Aboriginese to kidnap, sorry, re-locate white children in dysfunctional famillies for 50 or 60 years and integrate them into good homes and then let them say “sorry”? Could you imagine the size of the payouts?
Glenn if the white kids were protected from abuse alcohol, petrol sniffing and given the opportunity to attend school why would you need to say sorry? I think DOCS probably has a job for you and Christopher. They do nothing, so you guys should fit in well
I agree with Thomas. It makes a big difference that Howard is gone. It’s obvious now that it was mainly Howard who strongly opposed the apology. Without his influence, there is the potential for big changes in the Coalition and this should be encouraged.
The stature of John Howard, Australia’s 2nd longest serving Prime Minister, will grow as the new Labor PM turns hard left & the Libs become increasingly rudderless without Howard’s guidance, threatening to return to their confused pre-Howard state.
John James- And the last 11 years didn’t happen or were somehow beneficial? Not to mention the 184 years of borderline genocide leading up to the 1970s when Whitlam, Hawke, Keating and Fraser stopped the stealing & gave welfare, being better than nothing.
Yes Tony, I’ve heard that Rudd intends to nationalise all the cricket grounds and turn them into heroin injecting rooms for Aborigines. And all Nelson can do is agree. Shocking stuff.
I feel like I’m crikey stalking TONY P. Apart from getting his jollies off behind a ‘bush’ what did J Howard ever do that was worthwhile. I can give you a list of damage he did to add to the list from his treasury days. Easily scared Ausie’s delivered him
The 2nd half of Nelson’s speech was a sickening disgrace - if you don’t understand why, then keep learning about Aboriginal people and culture and don’t blame reactions you disagree with on the “latte set”, “professionaly outraged activists”, etc.
Who are you? What is this drivel? How dare you denigrate those who fought for this for 10 years while praising the bastards who resisted for the same 10 years?
What a bloody fool Crikey have found.
Calm down Marilyn. Howard is gone and it is nice to see people like Abetz finally opening up. We can carp about their silence for 11 years, but it’s childish to make that central to the discussion. Democracy is about convincing others. Abetz = convinced.
Socialists deny reality hence their love of symbolism to hide result of their ugly politics. Left-unions pushed Aboriginals out of rural industry, gave them sit down money. Rest is factual history. You’d get same result for whites in same circumstances.
The really great thing about being Nick Minchin is you get props every time you display a scintilla of human decency. “Dude! Minchin doesn’t want to eat Aboriginal babies! Kudos!” I mean, it was unusually self-aware of him, but this isn’t about the Libs.
Yes they have moved and in some cases considerably. We should not also forget that this has occurred for two reasons. One is Rudd’s initiative and the other is the release provided them by Howard’s disappearance.
Dr Harvey M Tarvydas- Interesting analogy the “getting his jollies off behind a ‘bush’”, conjured up thoughts of Sylvester Matushka’s eroticism, altogether disturbing and strangely ugly.