Australian governments and Australian people can address those real present circumstances and improve them. If the first step to healing for indigenous Australians is for the Australian Parliament to propose and pass an expression of profound regret for the injustices and dehumanising treatment that have been a part of indigenous peoples' shared experience of European settlement, then let us so move. If the stolen children, their families and communities have suffered pain and loss worthy of compensation, in whatever appropriate form that might take, then we must respond positively. Our response should be framed with compassion and fairness, with a vision for what can be achieved. It would be a tragedy for the reconciliation process if we were to proceed in a mean-spirited way, only to later be admonished by the courts and forced begrudgingly to meet our lawful and proper obligation.
Modern democracy requires much of governments.
We live in an information rich, educated and aware society. Social cohesion can only come from consensus. Fifty percent plus one of the electorate can determine the government of the day, but that government must act for all Australians. Entrenched structural and social disadvantage and alienation are recipes for social dislocation and disorder. Reconciliation and social harmony require courageous and visionary government.