Some of us are asking whether, in fact, there is a way forward to 1998, let alone 2001. Make no mistake about it - our country is at the crossroads. But we're here today in hope - hope that we can prevent fears and lies and bigotry from holding us back from a mature and responsible future. Reconciliation is undermined when rights are taken away, either overtly or by stealth. And reconciliation is devalued by assertions that pastoralists' rights are sacrosanct, but Indigenous rights are not.
Reconciliation is about addressing disadvantage.
It is not about perpetuating whining fish and chip myths that many Indigenous Australians live a privileged lifestyle on Government handouts. Reconciliation has no place for carping envy or recited mantras of 'equality' which deny history. Reconciliation is about owning and sharing our real history. It's not so hard to say you're sorry. Isn't that what we teach our children.