The National Apology of 2008 - 1258 Words

Intro: 50-80 words The National Apology of 2008 is the latest addition to the key aspects of Australia’s reconciliation towards the Indigenous owners of our land. A part of this movement towards reconciliation is the recognition of Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders rights to their land. Upon arrival in Australia, Australia was deemed by the British as terra nullius, land belonging to no one. This subsequently meant that Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were never recognised as the traditional owners. Eddie Mabo has made a highly significant contribution to the rights and freedoms of Indigenous Australians as he was the forefather of a long-lasting court case in 1982 fighting for the land rights of the†¦show more content†¦If latitude was adopted it could have caused Aboriginals to demand territory meaning that inhabitants sat on vast mining and economic resources. Additionally, it was possible that 1.5% of the population could have lain claim to around 50% of land area in Australia and the territorial and contiguous seas. If those possible claims were pushed through, the economic and financial costs would have been staggering, followed by severe backlash from non-Indigenous. Dr John Forbes specified â€Å"The High Court in its legislative jurisdiction has done what no single House of Parliament can do, it has passed an open money bill†. (Cooray, 1995). According to Doctor Mark Cooray, the supporters of Mabo were blissfully unconcerned about the consequences for Australian tax payers, consumers and industry. The cost of compensation was already borne by the people of Australia, endangering growing public antipathy to the claimants once the costs became apparent. On the contrary, Native Title became recognised in 141 cases, representing approximately 17% of the Australian continent and in 70% of cases, it was agreed to. (Gordon, 2014). Koen-Cohen stated that Australia has the harshest confronting claimants and that white Aus tralia still isn’t accepting the Indigenous land connections as a privilege rather than a problem. Additionally Paul Keating viewed the decision as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make peace with the first Australians and those who came later affirming â€Å"FromShow MoreRelatedThe Apology Of The Holocaust1294 Words   |  6 PagesOn February 13th, 2008, indigenous and aboriginal people across all of Australia were deeply moved and in tears; The Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, had finally apologised the Stolen Generations in his ‘sorry’ speech. The Apology was an important step towards rebuilding respectful and new relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, and to honour and apologize to stolen generations. Many Australians believe that respectful relationships are essential if we are to solveRead MoreThe Rights Of Indigenous Australians1197 Words   |  5 PagesAustralians as it began the reconciliation process which recog nised the injustices which had been done to Indigenous Australians involved in the Stolen Generations, and set out a list of recommendations to create equality in Australia. Whilst an apology was given to the Indigenous Australians the concept of reparations still remains a major topic in the Bringing Them Home Report that has not been properly addressed. Many Indigenous Australians were profoundly affected by the Assimilation policyRead MoreIndigenous Speeches Research Essay798 Words   |  3 PagesSpeeches are an iconic and widely used means of expression for our political leaders, particularly when discussing issues of importance such as Indigenous Australia. 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Hope through the deliverance of the apology was motivated through achieving reconciliation in Australia and to apologise to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. The act of saying sorry, if it is genuinely meant, has the ability to reset the balance between races. The National Apology of 2008 became a significant event that raised public awarenessRead MoreThe Stolen Generations By Ashley Condon1013 Words   |  5 Pagesand they cannot undo the grief and mourning they felt when we separated from them The removal of indigenous children continues today and about 60 children are removed every month by child protections services. On the 26th of May 1998 the first national Sorry day was held and was attended by over 1 million people. The premier of the time John Howard said â€Å"we feel deep and sincere regret over the removal of Aboriginal children from their parents.† But he never officially said sorry. 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