A couple of quotes in the SMH
Quote:
Mr Rudd set his Government the following tasks: to provide every indigenous four-year-old in a remote community with early childhood education within five years; to halve the gap between white and black Australia in literacy, numeracy and literacy within a decade; to halve the infant mortality rates within a generation; and close the life expectancy gap.
"None of this will be easy, most of it will be hard, very hard," he said. "But none of it is impossible." Referring to the joint approach with Dr Nelson, Mr Rudd said: "It's not sentiment that makes history, it's actions. The nation is calling on us, the politicians, to move beyond our infantile bickering, our point-scoring and our mindlessly partisan politics and elevate at least this one core area of national responsibility to a rare position beyond the partisan divide.
Well we have a plan and some targets. I think the co-chairmen idea of the "war-room" is a good idea. Not sure about War-room bit though....Quote:
Dr Bill Glasson, the medical leader of the Northern Territory intervention, said the targets were "absolutely possible". But there was a need to combat violence and alcohol abuse and improve schooling, housing, sanitation and fresh food supply.
So compensation claims are on the way. My opinion on these claims has shifted to allow them for those directly affected but for no general payments to be made unless put into a fund to assist with other issues in the community which would be a nice gesture form those affected by the stolen generation....Quote:
Some indigenous leaders said the issue would not go away. "It's not important today, but it will still be on the agenda," Lowitja O'Donoghue said. She said there should be a statutory authority set up to deal with compensation claims.
The man dubbed the father of reconciliation, Pat Dodson, also supported compensation, but said he would prefer to concentrate on the "reservoir of goodwill" created by the Government's apology.
"Don't be disappointed if you don't get all the things you wanted on the one day," said Mr Dodson, the former chairman of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. "Any group of people who have been treated badly under laws made legitimately by the crown deserve to pursue compensation judicially, legally or politically and they deserve our support."
HH.
