Bigotry still shades hope

And the big call - which reminded me of the tarnished claim by Bob Hawke that "by 1990 no Australian child will be living in poverty" - Rudd declared that over the next generation the 17-year gap in life expectancy between black and white Australia would be closed.

Only time will tell of the latter statement - and sadly that is not a luxury many of our mob have.

Despite the overwhelming success of this momentous day it was sadly rained upon by intransigent politicians who were obviously hell bent on creating mischief.

The leader of this renegade pack who chose to strategically boycott official proceedings was predictably Wilson Tuckey, Member for O’Connor (WA), whose infamous remarks on the day received as much coverage in some sections of the media as the fêted speech of the Prime Minister.

"I'm there to say hallelujah. Tomorrow there will be no petrol sniffing. Tomorrow little girls can sleep in their beds without any concern. It's all fixed," Tuckey indignantly announced to the gathered throng of media at the doorstep of Parliament House prior to the national address.

To understand the state of mind of this individual one would need to go back in time to the year 1967 when he bashed an Aboriginal man in a pub he once owned, reportedly with an iron bar, although he claimed - presumably in mitigation - that it was only “a piece of 100-amp cable”. Irrespective of his pronouncement in court he was convicted and fined $50.

It appears that these self-centred politicians who continue to live in denial of past injustices would only be content when the status quo of the preferred halcyon days of their forebears was back in vogue when Indigenous people had no rights and were generally viewed with contempt.

Regrettably also, the Sorry address was the limp reason for unsavoury conduct to emerge from disgruntled - ignorant, redneck - elements of mainstream society to further sully this nationally significant occasion.

Reports I’ve heard, from family and friends, on some hostility in the streets after the Sorry address was that it was reminiscent of the angst displayed by some non-Indigenous Australians to them post Anthony Mundine’s victory over Danny Green on the night of April 19 2006 at Sydney’s Aussie Stadium.

Two of my family members were directly involved in an altercation at a local nightclub a couple of days after the Canberra announcement when they took exception to some loud mouth cowboys who said they would never say sorry to boongs for actions of the past.

Instantaneously, on engaging with the principal stirrer, the younger of my relatives was king hit from the side by another cowardly hoon. Unfortunately for the offender the blow was negligible and as a recipient of several faster and harder blows to the head he was unflatteringly rendered horizontal on the bar room floor.

By now the mob, numbering ten or more, baying for blood moved menacingly - but cautiously - towards my relatives confident that strength in numbers would win the day.