Liam Getreu

So it happened this morning, one of the most significant moments in Australian history, and certainly the greatest day in the history of indigenous Australians at the very least since the 1967 referendum.

I’m quite sceptical about the national apology, but that’s or another time. I understand that it’s now happened, and that’s that. Surely now we can move forward and get on with ploughing money into infrastructure that will lift Aborigines out of the dire situation that they’re in?

Apparently not. Darren Bloomfield was interviewed on Lateline last night. Here’s a quick excerpt:

So you know, the sorry for me is still water under the bridge. It’s not really good enough. It’s not, it sovereignty more than this, what we want. You know, sorry will come when the sovereignty issue is actually addressed, cause that just ties up everything … If (Prime Minister Kevin Rudd) comes up and says I am sorry fully to Australia for what happened with reparation and compensation to our people then mate he’s gold. Other than that he’s just another politician up there with another story to tell for another vote to get and we don’t need that. We’re sick of it. We’re tired of it. I’m tired. That’s why I come down here at the tent embassy. It’s the only life we have. It’s the only place we can get our lives back and we come here, we take the fight on and you know along the way I got my family.
(Emphasis mine.)

From what Mr Bloomfield here is saying is that once the Australian people have got their apology, they’re off. Off to secede and create their on nation-state with autonomy and sovereignty. Or will they still require public funding from Australia for hospitals, schools, roads and more?

Or perhaps I’ve just missed the point completely.