oceanz wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2007 at 9:35pm:

Constructive criticism please Nelson, not insults.

Sprint if your suffering was caused by misfeasance in public office, you would have a case.

if the government had admitted a policy specifically targeting aboriginal children with intent wipe out the aborginal race as many leftists suggest

I've never heard that suggestion. It doesn't even make sense.

I've seen the film and I didn't get that impression. Maybe they wanted to encourage 'integration' into our culture and thus the destruction of their own, but not the race. If you take someone's children away, you increase the liklihood that they'll have more.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Billions-stolen-from-Aborigines-report/2007/09/05/1188783298078.html

Governments across Australia withheld billions of dollars from Aboriginal workers during the last century, according to the author of a controversial report.

Dr Ros Kidd launched her report Hard Labour, Stolen Wages in Brisbane and called on governments to repay the money withheld from thousands of Aborigines.

"Overall, we are looking at billions of dollars nationally, which has never been accounted for," she told AAP.

"That is wages that were supposedly paid to people but the government said 'we'll look after it for you' and that is in child endowments which the Queensland government was just stockpiling and kids were dying of malnutrition."

Dr Kidd said portions of wages, pensions and child endowments were paid into trust accounts but never reached their rightful owners.

Instead it was transferred into public revenue or disappeared through other means.

She said the practice was widespread and had been brought to the attention of the governments of the day through internal reports and investigations.

"The federal government knew that missions, pastoral stations and indeed state governments were making a fortune out of endowments and pensions," she said.

"It happened right across Australia, except perhaps in Tasmania.

"In the Northern Territory and the north of Western Australia, most of the workers were not even paid."

Dr Kidd also attacked the Queensland government's response to the issue.

She said a $55 million fund established in 2002 to pay reparations to those affected by the practice between 1897 and the 1970s only covered about 10 per cent of the money owed to workers.

Only $19.6 million of the fund was paid and Dr Kidd said many had opted not to enter a claim for the fund because the money paid was insufficient.

"A lot of the reasons for the low take of the offer was because it was such an insulting amount, to offer $4,000 maximum for a lifetime's missing money is just ludicrous," she said.

"There are many who refused to sign away their legal rights just to get $2,000 or $4,000 now."

The Queensland government is currently considering whether to divide the remainder of the fund between existing claimants or to use the money to establish a foundation that benefits the wider Aboriginal community.

Dr Kidd is a consultant historian who has given evidence in native title claims and to public inquiries, including the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission's 1996 inquiry into underpaid wages.

freediver wrote on Sep 5^th, 2007 at 6:47pm:



lets go furtehr lets give back all money to all the families of every person in australia who wasnt paid.

no, wait give money to every person in the world who has been treated unfairly. Also lets solve world poverty and end all wars

the problem of not getting paid is not a strictly aboriginal one...

AUShole wrote on Feb 25^th, 2007 at 10:40pm:


I agree: that most of the Aboriginal People I have met are really cool people. The Aboriginal people in the city have a reputation for being out of hand, but it is entirely understandable as they have been denied access to wealth and opportunity that leaves them with, virtually/seemingly, wasted lives.

In a society that purposely overwhelms their hopes, dreams and dignity the least you can do is give them respect for standing up for their own person and culture. If you can't you are an insecure monster who hides behind an illusion of strength.

To look at the way they have been treated breaks your heart.

I voted for the PM to say sorry as He/She is the appropriate person. When it will happen is another question.