Greens senator attacks PM over apology issue
Source: AAP | Published: Thursday August 26 10:35:26 AM
Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown has accused Prime Minister John
Howard of failing as a leader on the issue of
an apology to the stolen generation.
"He cannot say ... he is not big enough to say, I am sorry, on behalf of
the nation," Senator Brown told reporters.
"Every other parliament in the nation, almost every other politician and
people right across this country have been
able to say I am sorry.
"But John Howard is not big enough to do that," Brown said.
Australian Democrats Senator Aden Ridgeway's maiden speech last night
called on the government to express deep
and sincere regret for the hurt and trauma suffered by indigenous
Australians.
Australia's only Aboriginal federal MP omitted the word sorry in a
compromise Howard seems likely to accept.
But Brown believes this had come about because Howard had not offered an
alternative.
"Thank goodness we have an indigenous community that is big enough to
find ground for this leader who has failed
in this context," Brown said.
"I have said I am sorry. I feel deeply sorry about the whole history
since the invasion as far as the Aboriginal people
are concerned and the stolen generation in more recent history, in
particular.
"However, I remain also sorry that we don't have a prime minister who
could give ground," he said.
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