Categories: australia
Date: 13 February 2008 01:38:29
Plenty of reports and comments on the ABC News website.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's speech here.
Opposition Leader Brendon Nelson's reply speech here.
"Where to from here?" is probably a question in many people's minds. I can but pray it is the beginning of a way forward: a full recognising of the obscene acts of the past; a desire for true reconciliation, understanding and compassion from all to the Stolen Generations; and, however it may be accomplished, a moving forward together. Off the topic of the apology slightly, but I also pray for a change to the appalling health, education and opportunities of our Indigenous people.
I am yet to hear of a formal response from an Indigeneous leader: I would've liked it to happen in Parliament, but it did not.
I was very impressed with Kevin Rudd's speech: there were truly moments where the tears were welling in my eyes: particularly the story he related, and his call for true reconciliation and a moving forward together. And, as I linked to yesterday, the text of the apology [which was a small part [length-wise] of a longer speech] was, to me, moving and heartfelt. As was the rest of his speech -- which did not shy back from painful truths from our history as well as hope in moving forward. I do commend his speech to you all.
Brendon Nelson: well, I was not impressed to be honst. With the Opposition not keen on an apology [it was never on the agenda in their eleven years], it was always going to be a difficult act to participate in the apology as well as keep "the Party" happy. He did speak well, and with some very heart-breaking accounts: and he did look close to tears at times. But he also rambled on about issues not even related to the apology: they may be important [though how deaths in war of non-Indigenous and Indigenous relates to the Stolen Generations is truly beyond me], but, to me, it seemed to diminish the occasion. But that is me. And perhaps it is wrong to say such things on such an important day, but I truly felt Mr Nelson [and it could be seen as he was close to tears] did believe in the apology, so it was sad to see a speech so strange and, to me, inappropriate at times.
And it is an important day. I felt part of history as I, with some colleagues, watched the speeches from Parliament at work. And not just the speeches: the reaction from the people in the galleries; the reaction from the people outside Parliament House; the reaction from parliamentarians. I can but pray the words, heart-felt words indeed, do turn into positive action.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.