On the gap that needs to be closed, it is revealing to compare Australia and South Africa - the most unequal society on the planet. Their gap between black and white is 14 years - ours 17.

For God’s sake let’s get on with closing the Australian gap and put an end to this national disgrace. Issuing the apology seems to have used up all of Rudd’s moral strength. Jenny Macklin’s handling of Aboriginal affairs, especially in the Territory, ought to have her resigning or being sacked. We have had continued institutional racism under Rudd’s rule with the frying of Mr Ward in the back of a van the most horrendous example - but there are many many more examples. And again comparing with South Africa in the apartheid years, Steve Biko wasn’t left to fry in the back of a South African van.

Wikipedia writes of Biko’s death: “news of Biko’s death spread quickly, opening many eyes around the world to the brutality of the apartheid regime”.

Implementation as Judith and Stephanie argue is what is needed. How do we get it? Perhaps ‘news of Mr Ward’s death will open many eyes around the world to the brutality of the Australian regime’ and then get that regime at last to act. At least Mr Ward’s family might then know that he had not died in vain.