Tuesday 19 February 2008

Australian Apology to the Aborigines

A week has now passed since the Austalian apology by the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to the Aborigines and I am amazed at how little news coverage the event seems to have garnered in the UK.

Most of us will remember the Toyin Agbetu fuelled controversy in the UK at a service in Westminster Abbey last year to commemorate the bi-centenary of the abolition of the slave trade.

Kevin Rudd says the symbolism of an apology is important, but my guess is that the british government disagrees for as far as Britain's involvement in the transatlantic Slave trade is concerned all they are willing to give is an expression of deep sorrow. Its still so hard to apologise.