THE DONKEY VOTE

I will start off by saying I think it is disgraceful that I now not only have Sheldon but a smelly Yak battling me. But you know I am fine with it, because I have the real ammunition, I have the facts, the truth and the people behind my case. I can take you both on.

It’s the cheap tactics of the other side, not to fight fair! They can’t even win an election without teaming up together and fighting 1v2. It is just typical of them to cheat and  form Coalitions.

_________________________________

Well let’s get down to business. And best believe I’m going to say some things you will not like!

I am dedicating this post to John Howard’s latest political stunt, his limp attempts at reconciliation with the Aboriginal people. LINK

“If re-elected, I will put to the Australian people within 18 months a referendum to formally recognise indigenous Australians in our Constitution - their history as the first inhabitants of our country, their unique heritage of culture and languages, and their special (though not separate) place within a reconciled, indivisible nation.

“My goal is to see a new statement of reconciliation incorporated into the preamble of the Australian Constitution.”

Many including myself would consider this a step in the right direction. But I have complete doubt over his timing and motivation and I think an overwhelming amount of Australians can see this for exactly what it is, an election STUNT.

Mr Howard has had 11 year’s to institute movement towards this end and possibly as close as one day before an Election he wheels this out before the Electorate. Well it not only terribly insults our intelligence but it also cheapens the significance of what he announced, efforts towards reconciliation with Aboriginals.

If he was truly the cunning and brilliant politician people love to claim, he’d have instituted these types of projects years ago and then consistently backed it up with further announcements on not only Aboriginal issues but other issues facing Australia such as the skills shortage, housing affordability, aboriginal welfare and the like.

But instead he is just seen by 95% of the Australian population as re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic! But don’t take my word for it, read the 400+ comments on the Sydney Morning Herald submitted by readers. LINK

I think those blogs are a fantastic gauge of public opinion and if that reflects to the general electorate he is in a whole world of trouble

It is just another last gasp attempt at regaining some ground in the polls and to try and soften his reputation, make people believe he has a heart. But even in some ungodly alternate dimension, he did get returned to power, people will find much of these promises and programs will soon run out of steam and be put back on the shelf for another 3-4 years until the next Election. Their goals would already be achieved, delivering a 5th term for the Coalition.

What Labor offers is consistent progress on a number of fronts that demand the entire attention, efforts and hearts of the nation at all levels such as health, housing affordability, a fair workplace, climate change, aboriginal welfare and recognition, the skills shortage and some others such as driving towards the goal of becoming a Republic.

But I will tell you another goal of this announcement. It is designed to be divisive. It is designed to wedge the Labor Party. It is designed to polarise the electorate.

It is Labor Party policy to apologise to the Aboriginals for the Stolen Generation and this is an issue that divides the nation, with possibly half agreeing and the other half disagreeing.

Labor runs the risk of being drawn out on this issue and the issue turning from a symbolic act of reconciliation to a debate of if we should say SORRY or not. That is what Howard wants, he doesn’t want a fair Election on a range of issues that clearly looks at where we are headed. He wants to distil it down to one or two issues and convert the Election into a referendum on those issues.

So Labor needs to play their cards close to their chest, everyone knows it is Labor policy to say sorry but they need to control it.

And I agree we should say sorry. I love Australia and I am deeply ashamed of what has happened to the Aboriginal people of the nation by Australian hands. It is terribly unAustralian what we did as a nation and I know it hurts but the more you look into it the more racist and heartless we were as a country, not only to the aboriginals, ripping them from their families and acts of genocide in Tasmania but we also had anti Chinese legislation and a White Australia Policy.

We all love Australia and I think for many it is easier to deny this happened or to shift blame. It’s better to slap some snags on the barbie mate, play some backyard cricket, drink some slabs in our Australian flag boxer shorts and pat ourselves on the back how we are the best country in the world. Well sorry you are a bunch of dickheads.

Two popular excuses for our nation’s crimes are….

1. I didn’t do it, why should I apologise. It was my ancestors.

2. Derrrr it wasn’t us, it was the British, the Queen and the Poms and the Governor General should apologise.

3. If we say sorry we will have to give them a gazillion dollars!

Well I guess if that makes you sleep soundly at night to believe that, you can cuddle to those little fallacies like teddy bears.The stolen generation and other atrocities wasn’t just something that happened, it was government policy and we put those governments into power by voting for them. These policies were officially in place until the late 1960s, so many of us where alive during that period and it was also very recently.

Whether you consider you aren’t personally responsible and want to dig your heels in and not apologise. We are all collectively responsible for the actions of our nation. We as individuals are responsible for our own actions and decisions but we as a nation and a government transcend all generations, individuals and life spans. Australia and its spirit is immortal, our legacy is made up of all that has gone before. And thus we as a nation can not only revel in our proud history but we must also bear the responsibility and shame for  the actions of our past, both for good or ill.We can not cherry pick what we want to embrace as our own. We love to hug onto the ANZAC legacy, our sporting achievements, our frontier tradition, the Eureka Stockade and Ned Kelly. But we have no right to embrace the good and deny the bad.

Much like life, there is good and bad we must accept both.

We as a nation did wrong and we as a nation should apologise so we can move forward. Recognising a wrong and righting it is a difficult and humble but ultimately noble step.

I love Australia but I believe I do it greater service by helping highlight our crimes than help sweep them under the carpet. I’d truly love to go down this path and begin to resolve it, I think we need to address this issue before we even think of becoming a Republic.

Some others like to blame the British. But it was US that drafted, implemented and supported these laws. I find it extremely hard to fathom how people can blame the British. We have been a sovereign and independent nation since we Federated in 1901, the stolen generation lasted for another seven decades, the White Australia Policy came after that and Anti Chinese Legislation. Those crimes lay on our shoulders alone.

Even before Federation, the British left us largely alone to run our own affairs as independent colonies, so once again even before Federation I believe we are still responsible.

It is also a very convenient but stupid, pathetic and ridiculous excuse. In offering up this particular excuse they are also shitting over all the rest of Australian history to present day. We can pass off our crimes to the British but we will hold on to the victories and golden moments? That is terribly insulting to Australia and all the people who have come before and their achievements.

Some will sight that saying sorry is an admission of guilt and the country will be liable for damages. Well I believe there isn’t much to support that legally. And even if there was, so what?

Since when does money outweigh justice and morality in this country? Does this nation have a price tag? It seems it does to many people.

Sure most of us have not personally done this to past and current generations of Aboriginals but our NATION did, AUSTRALIA did and our forbearers did.

While we can not primarily apologise we can acknowledge what was done, our sorry that it occurred and our deep sorry and regret that it was done at the hands of Australian and State governments.

We as a people who elect the government and the government who are the caretakers of the continuing and timeless Australian legacy are well equipped to apologise for the crimes of the past and they should do so.

Share This