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The Forum > Article Comments > The case for compensation > Comments

The case for compensation : Comments

By Melissa Nobles, published 27/2/2008

Australia must now compensate the 'stolen generations'. To not do so risks undercutting the apology's value.

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Of course there should be compensation for the harms done by governement policies contributing to the Stolen Generation(s). But just as the policies were directed toward a group of people so too the compensations need to be directed collectively to those who are disadvantaged. To me that is not giving lumps of money to individuals but it should be a big effort in health and education and work opportunity for the whole of indigenous people. If those affected by the stolen generation are convinced that Australia is making a massive effort to correct the systemic disadvantages I imagine that most will be satisfied. Those individuals who have been wrongly treated, and who are not satisfied with efforts and progress to remediate the lot of their people should be encouraged to use the legal mechanisms that exist. If the individual cases are too difficult to prove it reinforces the idea of programatic compensation by way of health and education. If we had infallible data files on all individuals and could add and subtract advantages incurred and wrongs suffered, then individual compensations would be possible. But I doubt that kind of accuracy and fairness is possible.
Posted by Fencepost, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 6:11:15 PM
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Can we please differentiate:

* children who would have been put into care regardless of their race or ethnicity, due to neglect, destitution, abuse, etc.;

* children who were taken without good reason from parents able to support them, in order to SEGREGATE them not only from whites but from paler half-caste kids, and usually taken to remote rural institutions such as Cootamundra (girls) or Kinchela (boys), i.e. also segregated by gender;

* paler Aboriginal children taken for no legitimate reason so that the ycould be raised to merge in with the white population.

I suspect that the ratios would be about 40: 40: 20. Actual figures would help.

Apart from those taken into care, Aboriginal people did not exactly have a picnic out there on the missions and reserves and remote settlements. Their education was dumbed down, their employment opportunities were limited to rural and unskilled employment, their chances of a fair go and of reaching their potential were nil. So why shouldn't they - all Aboriginal people - demand compensation ?

On top of that, certainly here in the south, they lost their land, and are not likely to get much of it back. So how about two sources of compensation:

* a flat figure for every Aboriginal person born before the Racial Discrimination Act of 1975 - say $ 50,000 for pain, suffering, humiliation and destruction of opportunities ?

* and an annual amount for the rent of Aboriginal land, for each of those Aboriginal individuals who will never get their land back, say $ 5000 per year ? Perhaps apportioned accordingto what proportion of land has been taken, but the details can be worked out later.

How about it, Australia ? Or were crocodile tears into one's hanky, or hugging the nearest Blackfella, enough ? Said who ?
Posted by Loudmouth, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 9:41:29 PM
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What a refreshing change!

Thank 'God' for the understanding and compassion from most of you here.
Posted by Ginx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 9:46:52 PM
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its not about 'stolen generation' but 'stolen children'...and people like melinda would do well to first assess the difference and legal implications before wading into the subject and writting books...

First includes an adult whom responsible for their own actions and must be accountable for the effects on themselves and on others...

Second is child, whom by definition is dependent, vulnerable and need of meaningful care...

So talking of compensation...thats up to the courts...each adult person who thinks 'damages' is due can argue their case...and which/should appy to each and every citizen of each country...

The parliament apology was a 'balanced human act'...and I suppose that a proportion of the community will see it as an opportunity to make some easy money...most see it for what it is...children were traumatized...particularly emotionally and which in this day and age when so much more is known to 'science of emotion'...should never be allowed...with consequences directly connected/enforced with any responsible adult causing harm to child now...for a healthier adaptable society...

To child protection and force removal of child...getting statistics from this draconian body is difficult...but there is a good case to make out that in majority of interventions they force removed the father primarily for the mothers benefit still leaving an emotional and traumatized child without relief...

And if any person can find a way to obtain the real common statistics of this government department...Ill describe how to 'make money' by compensations from both government and mother...

Sam
Ps~specialized bodies dealing with emotionally traumatixed children by repeatable scientific methods, eg anna freud centre in hamstead england, do not exist in australia...when such a need for such exists and be of great benefit to quantifying the nature, extent and effect of emotional harm to child and which greatly assists courts and public in general...need to ask the 'crown' as administrator of government why not...
Posted by Sam said, Thursday, 28 February 2008 8:47:01 AM
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Dave here To answer the situation with my son he was firstly removed because of allegations that I bashed & starved him but this was not believed at the start[as stated in court] so instead of investigating who placed these vicious allegations up[my in-laws] they instead interview my son in the presence of these people & state he is emotionally abused that interview took place after my in-laws took him from my yard while he was having access with his parents then taken to a psychological assessment without the leave of the court without his parents & with my in-laws. It is placed before the court that he is not to be in the middle of a fight between the adults[mother apparently wanted a divorce] so they give him to my in-laws that hate my guts[admitted in court] & my son is locked away from his father but nothing is done about this.I married only one cow out of the herd not the whole herd.
Like I say may your Lord shine on you all well but CHILD ABUSE MUST STOP
God Bless from Dave
Posted by dwg, Thursday, 28 February 2008 11:14:38 AM
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When America and Australia compensate the Vietnamese for flogging the living daylights out of them to the tune of 3 million dead and many lives ruined, including the indiscriminate use of Agent Orange in their chemical warfare campaign, then I will maybe consider the arguments for compensating aborigines for providing them with free schooling, if they want to go to school, free university, Abstudy, lower entrance requirements to medical school than demanded of us whities, free health care, antibiotics, free housing so they can smash it up, free repairs to houses when they are smashed up, etc etc etc. Time to stop whingeing. SORRY to be so politically incorrect.
Posted by HenryVIII, Thursday, 28 February 2008 10:41:59 PM
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