Saying sorry was just the first step

Until we have a level playing field in services that mainstream Australia enjoys, the plight of many Aboriginals will remain a matter of guilt, shame and regret for us all. How can these breaches of basic human rights escape our consciousness?

Even if they have not been listening in the past, surely Malcolm Turnbull, Brendan Nelson and Tony Abbott have now heard about the clearly spelt out disadvantages experienced by Aboriginals today? If not, we need to ask why are they, and others like them, working so hard to maintain a state of denial which allows them to engage in political charade and hypocrisy.

The Prime Minister suggests that not apologising to the stolen generation is a blot on our soul and this takes the issue into a moral dimension and beyond. Clearly those opposed to an apology do not have an awareness that we are being confronted by an ethical and moral issue and not just a compensation based legal one.

Can we still deny that we took settled land, too often by force without compensation (very few Sitting Bulls here), used our original citizens as cheap labour, fathered children who were half non Aboriginal and then removed them from their homes and land? Is this not an injustice? The removal of children must be seen in the context and against the backdrop of our violent early history and the erosion of legal, economic, social and cultural autonomy, if we are to properly understand its consequences. How is this not a problem for our conscience then and now?

Lawyers like Malcolm Turnbull must surely know that where there has been injustice, the role of the law is to remedy and redress those wrongs.

The first step to redressing injustice against Aboriginal is an apology, but this is just the symbolic first step. Although powerful it is not enough, as we have a long journey to embark on after this to provide relief from past and present wrongs. Compensation is part of that journey and Tasmania has set a precedent all can follow.

This legal acknowledgement can allow the grieving process to commence and provide some resolution so that the retrieval of shattered lives is possible. An apology means that we can no longer engage in the pretence of denying our collective responsibility for the disparate existence of one sector of our society. It is also a powerful healing tool not just for our Aboriginal citizens but for our own guilt and deep regret as well.

Ultimately an apology will engender greater respect and regard for the human rights of all Australians and we will be seen globally as more just, mature and compassionate beings.