What we're talking about

Troy Rolley on Justice for a Killer Queensland-style What a disgrace, this state government does not represent me & does not represent my thinking & sense of fairness / ... more
Dazza on Justice for a Killer Queensland-style So, the Queensland labor government wants to indoctrinate other States with their "go soft on crime and punishment" ... more
Wobblyone on Barnaby Joyce Now let's talk about a real snake. Allbull is in his death throes... I suspect he's committed a big heap of his money and ... more
Greg on Justice for a Killer Queensland-style Please please vote the most useless state govn out of office asap. more
Jeff Clegg on Justice for a Killer Queensland-style Typical of the way this country is going . We are being run by a bunch of over educated idiots with not a bone of ... more
Gayle on Justice for a Killer Queensland-style Cameron Dick with this act you have shown the world that murderers are welcome here without fear of appropriate ... more
RUDY on Justice for a Killer Queensland-style WOULD CAMERON DICK FEEL THE SAME WAY IF IT WAS ONE OF HIS KIDS????????? more
Jennifer Nash on Justice for a Killer Queensland-style We can only offer our deepest sympathy and apologies for our dysfunctional just is system. It must be extremely exhausting ... more
Chris on Barnaby Joyce What happened to the Barnaby who said "My contract to the Australian people and the other senators' contract to the ... more
Sonny McCracken on Justice for a Killer Queensland-style This Government at the next election should be kicked out regardless of what the opposition is like. more
RICK on Justice for a Killer Queensland-style WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM A SOFT WEAK GOVERNMENT.SOFT AND WEAK CAMERON DICK.THIS REALLY DOES SEND THE WRONG MESSAGE TO ... more
brent on Justice for police the police no longer serve the people they are just pupets of the bligh circuc with top appointments by her and funding ... more
Jennifer Nash on Barnaby Joyce You are correct Leonard our Constitution mentioned no political parties, only representatives of the people. Which political ... more
Stephen on Barnaby Joyce Tony Abbott cannot allow Barnaby Joyce to expose the economic weakness of the Liberal front bench. Joyce should be moved to ... more
Jennifer Nash on Justice for police True Michael, you are a very big police supporter, however, even you will not and cannot defend the indefensible. We need a ... more
LEONARD CLAMPETT on Barnaby Joyce Micheal, Regarding your interview with BARNABY JOYCE. I wasamused to hear the bleating of varous people who complained that ... more
Simon on Barnaby Joyce I could not access the interview over the weekend so this is my first listen to it. Boy, what a different man. He has been ... more
Wobblyone on Barnaby Joyce Barnaby is something that we should all cherish and hope like hell that we don't lose. Fancy having an honest, straight from ... more
Andrew Green on Justice for police There seems to be a culture of police officers being above the law. This starts at the top and works it's way down. I was of ... more
joy on Taxpayer-funded Rudd Rubbish KRUDD - WITH ALL OF HIS SINCERITY (LAUGH LAUGH LAUGH) PROTESTS. THIS IS THE SAME GUTLESS WONDER THAT IS SELLING AUSTRALIA ... more

Being Australian

Posted by: Michael Smith | 26 June, 2009 - 2:44 PM

Yesterday we spoke a bit about being indigenous.

Many of our callers spoke about the benefits available exclusively to indigenous people.

One of my callers said that he always says he’s indigenous – it’s got him quicker medical treatment and other benefits.

My grandmum’s brother, Les signed up for the First World War. His great-grandfather arrived in Tasmania as an assigned servant – he’d been “found on the King’s estate” which was legalise for poaching in Ireland. So the first of our tribe in Australia was a convict when he arrived in Van Diemen’s Land in the early 1880s.

See the certificates here. Link 1 Link 2

When Les joined up he was a fully paid-up member of The Australian Natives Association. That was a group of Australians who all paid in money – the idea being that if any of them were wounded they could draw some money out of the pool. Well Les was wounded in The Great War.

On the other side of the family my grandfather Percy was wounded severely and his brother John was killed by the Germans in front of him. The other brother on that side Les was in the Royal Australian Navy and was active in The Mediterranean Ocean during the war.

I don’t hold it against the Germans who are alive now. Just like I don’t hold it against the Japanese who were shooting at my family in the Second World War.

So why don’t the Aboriginal Industry in this country learn to get over the past and get on with life?

I can’t be anything other than an Australian, just like them. That’s it. It’s time the government drew a line under all the apologies and got over it.

Blog comments

I'm confused, I thought it was my fundermental human right to be able to say I'm indigenous to a particular country. I mean everyone else gets to say it, aboriginals,american indians, chinese, indians,africans etc. so when I say I must therefore be indigenous to england I'm then told there's no such thing.(maybe it's because they don't want to ofend the newcomers). since I can't be indigenous australian because I'm not aborigonal , then where am I indigenous to?

rick Friday 26 June, 2009 - 6:38 PM