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Aboriginal Reconciliation
I feel positive about Labor making inroads towards reconciliation with Australia's indigenous populations. I think we should make the apology of our government formal, as it stands now the country still seems to be trying to forget the past while attempting to move forward. This is not working. We need openness and active actions towards reconciliation. I am ashamed that making attempts to rectify the appalling Aboriginal health crisis were considered 'unpopular' with the nation by the Howard government. I hope this too will change with Labor taking control. Kim Beazley, while opposition leader, went on record to state he would turn the health crisis within the Aboriginal community within two terms if elected. Kevin Rudd re-iterated this when he took control. He now has to step up to that.
If the media or factions of the public cry out that spending more money on Aboriginal health is 'not fair' (how we Aussies love to throw around the fairness card) since more is spent on the average indigenous person versus non-indigenous then we need to slam the message home that it is necessary since the Aboriginal public is facing an epidemic, they are on average 300% sicker. That is atrocious, to think that the average life expectancy hovers around 37-40yrs for Aboriginals in Australia! I hardly call that a fair-go.
To improve health the new government will have to tackle factors that directly affect health, this would have to include housing and education. No small task but I do not see how we can possibly live with ourselves or hold our heads high as a nation if we let this crisis run on indefinitely. I get so frustrated when I hear people say they do not want to say sorry since they did not do anything wrong and that it is all in the past... no one is asking any one member of the Australian public to come forward and apologise. It is the country that needs to apologise and that needs to be done by the government, if only there was more of a public outcry for action on reconciliation - then the government will be pushed forward more quickly.
I had not realised until earlier this year that Canada faced problems comparable to Australia with its own indigenous population. Two years ago they announced they were spending C$2 billion on tackling poverty, health and education within the indigenous community (article). Following this, they have just announced they are providing the Inuit community autonomous status, along with a chunk of land the size of France (article). I am not suggesting this is the answer to addressing Australia's issues (I am not sure allowing autonomous status is what is wanted by the indigenous or non-indigenous community) but it should make our inaction look even more pathetic in comparison.
If the media or factions of the public cry out that spending more money on Aboriginal health is 'not fair' (how we Aussies love to throw around the fairness card) since more is spent on the average indigenous person versus non-indigenous then we need to slam the message home that it is necessary since the Aboriginal public is facing an epidemic, they are on average 300% sicker. That is atrocious, to think that the average life expectancy hovers around 37-40yrs for Aboriginals in Australia! I hardly call that a fair-go.
To improve health the new government will have to tackle factors that directly affect health, this would have to include housing and education. No small task but I do not see how we can possibly live with ourselves or hold our heads high as a nation if we let this crisis run on indefinitely. I get so frustrated when I hear people say they do not want to say sorry since they did not do anything wrong and that it is all in the past... no one is asking any one member of the Australian public to come forward and apologise. It is the country that needs to apologise and that needs to be done by the government, if only there was more of a public outcry for action on reconciliation - then the government will be pushed forward more quickly.
I had not realised until earlier this year that Canada faced problems comparable to Australia with its own indigenous population. Two years ago they announced they were spending C$2 billion on tackling poverty, health and education within the indigenous community (article). Following this, they have just announced they are providing the Inuit community autonomous status, along with a chunk of land the size of France (article). I am not suggesting this is the answer to addressing Australia's issues (I am not sure allowing autonomous status is what is wanted by the indigenous or non-indigenous community) but it should make our inaction look even more pathetic in comparison.
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