Yuyutsu, no one can claim that any God 'gave' them some land because God only exists in people's imagination. Faith is real of course, and having faith is a personal issue that no one else can take away.
However, simply believing in a God does not make it true there is a God.

Aboriginals didn't believe in a god as such until some mad missionaries came to their communities to 'save' their souls. They succeeded in bringing killer viruses and bacteria with them from the 'Old Country' though.

Aboriginals managed to exist quite well for thousands of years without any one 'true' god at all. Isn't that a miracle...

Absolutely ridiculous. Political correctness and cow-towing gone completely stupid.

The point of the change to the constitution is to remove any reference to race and to recognise the original residents without granting special privileges. The last thing we need is to create a caste system.

Yuyutsu,

I think you're having us on; nobody could that bloody short-sighted and egocentric - unless you're a 14-year-old games nerd, determined to keep your mum out of your room. .

SM,

Hmmmm: to remove sections already in the Constitution which mention 'race', and then put something back in which recognises 'Indigeneity': what's a bit contradictory about this picture ?

I wonder sometimes if people can look forward more than one or two steps, if any 'brilliant initiative' is no more than a five-second, one-step, thought-bubble:

* on the one hand, to remove any reference to 'race' in the Constitution would surely make any specifically Indigenous-oriented program discriminatory and therefore to be denied funding ? That any welfare program, say, would have to justify itself in terms of general need, not Indigeneity per se ?

* but, on the other hand, to insert a clause about recognition of Indigeneity or Indigenous culture and/or languages, would introduce permanent discrimination in favour of one group over others ?

Perhaps there is something in being and old-fashioned conservative and asking, 'What difference would change make ? Would change necessarily be for the better ?'

Just wondering.

Joe

' Aboriginals didn't believe in a god as such until some mad missionaries came to their communities to 'save' their souls. They succeeded in bringing killer viruses and bacteria with them from the 'Old Country' though.'

showing your ignorance and Christaphobic nature again Susie. You obviously ignore aboriginal mythology.

btw have you any idea what life expectancy was prior to those wicked British arrived? That might require diverting from your dogma.

I can remember in the late 1960's when the Racial Discrimination Act was enacted in England. Interesting that many people pointed out that race was not mentioned in English Law until then. Since then we have had more and more law that has enriched lawyers but I do not think has done a lot for anyone else.
Perhaps someone can help me out and let me know all the benefits that followed on from "Racial" law?