The auspicious return of reason
In keeping with the finest traditions of Australia’s parliament, I decided to take the first six weeks of the year off from posting. Now finally, I am back, however I make no apology about it.
In under 24 hours we will witness what could be one of the greatest speeches in the history of Australian politics. Just over fifteen years ago, Paul Keating delivered what was recently voted as the most memorable Australian speech in history. Since then, reconciliation has argably taken several steps backwards, with the Howard government and Middle Australia in general being more concerned with their hip pockets than social justice.
Ever so gradually we are learning how to see Australia through Aboriginal eyes, beginning to recognise the wisdom contained in their epic story.
I think we are beginning to see how much we owe the indigenous Australians and how much we have lost by living so apart.
I said we non-indigenous Australians should try to imagine the Aboriginal view.
It can’t be too hard. Someone imagined this event today, and it is now a marvellous reality and a great reason for hope.
There is one thing today we cannot imagine. We cannot imagine that the descendants of people whose genius and resilience maintained a culture here through 50 000 years or more, through cataclysmic changes to the climate and environment, and who then survived two centuries of dispossession and abuse, will be denied their place in the modern Australian nation.
We cannot imagine that.
We cannot imagine that we will fail.
And with the spirit that is here today I am confident that we won’t.
Paul Keating, 10 December 1992 (full transcript)
Today the opening of the 42nd parliament was preceded by a ‘welcome to country’ ceremony performed by the Ngambri people. Kevin Rudd was presented with a message stick to commemorate the occasion. I don’t want to get the constitutional monarchists’ knickers in a knot, but why don’t we get replace the arcane “Black Rod” with the message stick? The Black Rod, which is the ceremonial staff of office used in the senate, was traditionally used to bash people who offended the Most Noble Order of the Garter (to which it is rumoured that Mr Howard will soon be inducted). Since offending upper class British twits is now a national sport, it would be a fantastic gesture for this staff to be scrapped in favour of a symbol which is actually tied to Australia’s history – the message stick.
Anyway, back to the apology. I simply don’t understand the hullabaloo over Rudd not releasing the wording. In my opinion, a speech is a speech, and it should be heard for the first time as it is spoken, not voted upon in a committee before hand. I don’t think that Churchill, Luther King or Lincoln vetted their speecehs with their opposite numbers.
The real question is, will Rudd be able to set the indigenous people on the track to equality with us whiteys? Or will the movement burn out again, as it did with the decline of Keating? I’m hoping that we’ll see some results.
February 12, 2008 12:07 pm 2 Comments
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By Joel
, February 12, 2008 @ 2:07 pm
A well written muse stu. I wonder if the apology will set in motion the downfall of K-Rudd as it did P-Keating
By stu
, February 12, 2008 @ 3:38 pm
Hehehe… muse…
Bring on the downfall, I say. I want Gillard!