Sorry

I'm glad John Howard refused to say sorry. The 11 years of arsehole-ish policy and colonial mentality have made Sorry Day exponentially more valuable, and the fact that the apology isn't being dragged out of the mouth of someone whose tongue was planted up the Queen of England's arse for 11 years gives it a dignity it wouldn't have had coming from Howard. Now, it really means something.

The occasion of the official apology to the Stolen Generation is a really important piece of Australian history, and therefore I think it's important that it goes on this blog. Here is the wording of what Kevin Rudd will say in parliament tomorrow:

"Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations – this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia."

I did hear on the radio this morning that no Indigenous leaders will be permitted to address parliament tomorrow because of some 'rule' preventing non-parliamentarians (or something) from taking the floor. Bob Brown was quoted as pointing out how hypocritical this was given that we've had foreign heads of state, including, to our everlasting disgrace, US president George W Bush. I hope that's not true, because if it is it's a real shame. If there ever was an occasion that demanded it, this would be it.