Reconciliation Requires Changes Of Heart And Spirit,

Most Asylum Seekers Do Get Permanent Visas, So The Earlier They Receive The Appropriate Help, The Faster They Will Become Part Of The Community. They'll Get Jobs And Start Paying Taxes Too. They Will See Australia As A Nation With A Sense Of Care And Concern. That's So Important For A Cohesive Society. It Helps Build A Sense Of Belonging. And In Terms Of Common Decency, It's What Should Be Happening... For God's Sake, This Is Australia, People Should Be Treated With Decency And Humanity.

At The Moment People Get On Boats Because They Flee Terror At Home And Believe The Many Years' Long Wait In Unhcr Camps Is Not A Valid Option, Especially If They Have Children In Their Care. After The Vietnam War, Australia Took A Larger Humanitarian Intake Than At Any Other Period In Our History. The Australian Community Accepted That. They Were Told Why We Needed To Do It, And Why It Was The Only Ethical Decent Policy That A Wealthy Advanced Country Should Adopt.

Maoris Now Own Over Half The Commercial Fishing Industry In New Zealand.

In The Last Twelve Years, We Have Come Some Distance Towards Reconciliation And The Breaking Down Of Disadvantage. Let Us Take Encouragement From What Has Been Achieved And Set Our Minds And Hearts To End The Remaining Roadblocks.

Sorry Day Falls On The Eve Of Reconciliation Week, Giving Us The Chance To Ask Whether We Are Making Progress In The Wider Challenge Of Reconciling Indigenous And Other Australians.