I had no problem with an apology, but the apology Kevin Rudd gave was delivered with invective. The apology started off with good intent but degraded into a patronising and offensive rant. When explaining why he said sorry, Rudd used an example of the christian religion being forced on the indigneous (but never clearly explained the importance of saying sorry). There were indigenous ministers sitting in parliament listening to him. Very insensitve Krudd.

Rudd's speech was, for what it was, brilliant. He captured the mood of those who wanted to Apologise, and his words seem to have been mostly accepted by members of the Stolen Generations. I don't presume to speak for everybody, but judging by the mood of the crowd gathered at Federation Square in Melbourne, this impression seems reasonably accurate.

It is possible, of course, to take issue. In a 30-minute speech, it is always possible for individuals (and in large numbers!) to take issue with particular aspects. I was a little disappointed at the occasional party-political barbs clearly directed at the Opposition. Yes, there is intense frustration with the Liberal Party for its obstinate refusal to acknowledge the issues for the past decade. Yes, it needs to be formally acknowledged that they are Wrong. But I did feel the party-political stuff could have waited until tomorrow.

What most concerned me with Rudd's speech was his proposals for future action. To pledge that all 4-year-olds be enrolled and attending schools, by itself, is no guarantee that the injustices of the past and present will not continue. In my view, what he should have said on that issue was something like this:

"This government pledges that, within five years, all four-year-old Indigenous children will be enrolled and regularly attending educational institutions which cater for the child's own cultural life and background. As well as learning the tools to get by in the modern 'western' world (education to which ALL children have the right) - the ability to read and write in English, the ability to do math, knowledge of ancient and modern international and national history - all Indigenous children have the right to learn about their own customs, their own culture, and learn their own languages. Indeed, ALL Australian children, whether Indigenous or not, have the right to learn the Indigenous history, culture and language(s) of the place where they live. It is not "them" who need to learn "our" ways; it is "us" who must learn from Indigenous people the values, traditions, customs and languages of this place."

Kevin did a fine job of saying sorry. Well done.

To those who don't 'get it', you never will unless you open up your mind and your heart, and who cares if you never get it.

The rest of Australia will move forward while you wallow in your ignorance. I really don't care if you get left behind as a dinosaur of a bygone era.

I can't resist this though - Leigh it is your meanspiritedness and unabridged and ill informed vitriol that should be used as an example of the past attitudes that belittle Australia as a nation.

Lets celebrate this wonderful day in Australia's history.

Kipp,
Yep, its human nature. Many a new years resolution to lose weight or give up smoking start with good intentions but fail in a few days.

Believe me I would love to be proven wrong and see the whole problems in aboriginal communities fixed. But one has to consider the track record before placing a bet, so I think my money will stay in my pocket.

As I said, forego the tax cuts and use it to build schools, medical centres, police stations and other infastructure. Employ teachers, nurses, doctors and police officers. Start work projects and apprentice schemes and whatever else is required.

Even if the new Commission employs accountants and auditors to supervise the expenditure, I still doubt if I would bet on more than a partially successful outcome.

Nelson's speech was nothing short of abominable. I was shocked to my core to hear the same prejudices, the same ignorance, the same defences, the same rejection of the central importance of Indigenous people to this nation, and the same comforting myths about non-Indigenous history come through on an occasion as significant, memorable and historical as a National Apology.

This was not the Joint Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library. This was the Lower House of the Federal Parliament, on a day on which not only the nation but the world was watching, listening and documenting.

The crowd at Federation Square had signalled its overwhelming appreciation of Kevin Rudd's speech. They had quietened down to hear what his counterpart had to say. Nelson could have continued the mood of the day - reconciliation, learning, confronting harsh historical facts, healing.

Instead, he chose to emphasise that while bad things obviously happened, they were done (by successive Parliaments and governments) with what were often "good intentions". Obviously the devout Christian has never been told what hell is paved with. The thrust of his talk was that the nation must not forget that what happened in the past was done with what was considered then to be good reason, and that the consequences were only discovered later.

Even if this were true, it would be unacceptable. The point of today was to drop the contemporary excuses for past wrongs, to recognise that they were wrongs, and to apologise for them. But Nelson wasn’t even speaking truth. If he’d spent half an hour researching primary source documents he would realise that very many people recognised how wrong these policies were even as they were being proposed.

Nelson’s speech left the impression that neither he, nor his speechwriter, nor anybody who’d checked over its content before it was delivered, had done any historical research (which made ironic his plea that our responsibility was to “understand what happened”). By not doing the research, he displayed an utter lack of respect to those he was addressing.

And that is why we turned our backs.

The issue of acknowledging wrongdoings seems to be a global one.

Past wrongs have been admitted by countries around the world in recent years:

* Formal colonial power Germany has apologised to African states that were victims of slavery and colonial exploitation (some 12 million slaves were shipped, locked and chained, from Africa in the 400 years of human trafficking until the 19th century).

* Germany has apologised to Jews for the Holocaust.

* The British government has said sorry to the Irish for failing to help those who suffered during the potato famine.

* The US government formally apologised to 80,000 Japanese-Americans interned during World War II.

* In 1998 the Canadian government issued a Statement of Reconciliation to its indigenous people.

As I've stated in previous posts on this Forum - an apology to the Aboriginal people is a sign of maturity, of a willingness to face mistakes that caused suffering. It heals divisions between people, shows a deepening understanding of the life of a nation and reflects humility and honesty. The acknowledgement of guilt is not to be confused with personal guilt; rather it acknowledges a historical responsibility. In the case of indigenous Australians, many of whom lost family, culture and tribe, it helps to soothe the anger and frustration of those who feel affected.

I am proud of our Prime Minister for the way he has acted in relation to this issue. It has strengthened his moral authority immeasurably.
It was the right thing to do, and - I congratulate him - for having had the courage to do it!