http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/the-anatomy-of-an-apology/ Bardi on the Web Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:00:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/the-anatomy-of-an-apology/#comment-17014 tonchi Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:31:25 +0000 http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/?p=518#comment-17014 What a fantastic summation of the tired old arguments. My only point of difference would be my wholehearted belief that it WILL make a difference. As a father to 3 young Aboriginal children who have been born and spent their first years under the rule of a hateful government, I relax that now I can explain the truth and bring the beginning of a healing generation to manhood knowing that the first step towards reconciliation are being taken. I am typing this in a Melbourne house with visiting friends and relatives from Aboriginal communities in Far West NSW and North QLD. I can not begin to convey the joy, exhilaration and sense of national monumental change in our house at the moment. This is all a very very simple gesture but it will mean everything to people who have very less complicated ways of speaking the truth. What a fantastic summation of the tired old arguments. My only point of difference would be my wholehearted belief that it WILL make a difference. As a father to 3 young Aboriginal children who have been born and spent their first years under the rule of a hateful government, I relax that now I can explain the truth and bring the beginning of a healing generation to manhood knowing that the first step towards reconciliation are being taken. I am typing this in a Melbourne house with visiting friends and relatives from Aboriginal communities in Far West NSW and North QLD. I can not begin to convey the joy, exhilaration and sense of national monumental change in our house at the moment. This is all a very very simple gesture but it will mean everything to people who have very less complicated ways of speaking the truth.

]]> http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/the-anatomy-of-an-apology/#comment-16998 Claire Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:42:18 +0000 http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/?p=518#comment-16998 There have been some cases over the last few years. There is an ongoing 'stolen wages' claim (the Queensland government 'invested' wages of Aboriginal people on their behalf for about 15 years and never paid anything). There was also a genocide case but it failed because a) there's no state/national genocide law, although there is international law that Australia's a signatory to; therefore the Supreme Court didn't have the authority to try the case; b) there were details about the two plaintiffs which I can't remember. There have been some cases over the last few years. There is an ongoing ’stolen wages’ claim (the Queensland government ‘invested’ wages of Aboriginal people on their behalf for about 15 years and never paid anything). There was also a genocide case but it failed because a) there’s no state/national genocide law, although there is international law that Australia’s a signatory to; therefore the Supreme Court didn’t have the authority to try the case; b) there were details about the two plaintiffs which I can’t remember.

]]> http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/the-anatomy-of-an-apology/#comment-16992 Bill Poser Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:51:28 +0000 http://anggarrgoon.wordpress.com/?p=518#comment-16992 The argument that Australia should not apologize for fear of creating financial liability is legally ludicrous. In every country with a legal system descended from that of England, and in most if not all others, the state can only be sued if it consents to be sued. This descends from the sensible reasoning that the Crown cannot be sued since it is the Crown that dispenses justice. In the unlikely event that existing Australian legislation would permit suits for damages by aboriginal people, the government need merely pass legislation to prevent such suits. Furthermore, an apology can easily be worded in such a way as to avoid an admission of legal responsibility. The argument that Australia should not apologize for fear of creating financial liability is legally ludicrous. In every country with a legal system descended from that of England, and in most if not all others, the state can only be sued if it consents to be sued. This descends from the sensible reasoning that the Crown cannot be sued since it is the Crown that dispenses justice. In the unlikely event that existing Australian legislation would permit suits for damages by aboriginal people, the government need merely pass legislation to prevent such suits. Furthermore, an apology can easily be worded in such a way as to avoid an admission of legal responsibility.

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