Excuse me, where can I find the Aboriginal Embassy?

If you show people respect, they will act respectfully. So what does that say about us? (‘us’ being non aboriginal Australians).

Is there such a thing as the Aboriginal Embassy? Who is the Aboriginal Ambassador? Shouldn’t I see him or her shaking hands with Quentin Bryce from time to time? Not all of you will agree with my proposal, and that is excellent, as we’re a democracy. Let us ask the Aboriginal People if they would like a permanent structure to become the Aboriginal Embassy, on the same site as Tent Embassy now sits. If nothing else surely 40 years of tenacity that is now part of modern Australian history gives people rights for that small piece of ground. That is dismissing the entire debate of original occupancy, general land rights and a treaty. But we will get to that.

That is my point. That we need a stepping stone. A place to grow the future relations of aboriginal and non aboriginal Australians. Where do we take dignitaries to meet the first Australians when they enter ‘our’ lands? We usually see aboriginal people come and ceremonially welcome guests to the country anywhere that suits on the day. Would it not be more meaningful to be invited into a place that was their own? Would it not be reasonable that they have a place, where we govern this country? And a place at the table?

Let us remember that ‘we’ were not invited here from the get go. That’s done and dusted now. ‘We’ are here. Modern Australia has said sorry. I am sorry for what happened to Aboriginal Australians at the hands of foriegn invaders. I am also sorry that the making of genocide is my history too. It’s not something for which I believe most Australians are proud. We are, if I may speak generally, ashamed. There is nothing more we can add.

Our attention has been drawn, and has been for some time, to the inequities of Aboriginal life. Very little, I agree, has improved. I refuse to look away until it has improved. I would urge that nobody look away this time. To do so would be disrespectful, and we know where that gets us.

Tracey

Egypt: I hear your voices

So, this could be the moment. The moment the world changes. I didn’t see it happening this way. But I’m listening. So, open your hearts and your minds and be ready to befriend your former foe. Because I am hearing the voices of muslim people. Not their governments,  or extremists or those that held voice in the past, but everyday citizens of Cairo, of Egypt, of the Arab world.

To accept that uprisings in Egypt may be a better turn of events than at first it seems, requires you to first accept that at this point the world still negotiates with violence. A bitter pill to swallow, I agree, and one I like to think will come to it’s own end – but it won’t be today. A friend recently told me he found war elevating, I bemoaned him at the time, but on further reflection realize he may have been suggesting that to stand for what you believe and risk your safety doing so, is an an elevation of the human spirit. In that I can believe.

What the Egyptians are telling us is something we can all relate to. Because at last we know we share a basic commonality. ”What I want is the same thing you have. I want a safe, prosperous, liberal and open democracy like Australia.” says Makhlouf, as reported online in The Age today. This I hadn’t heard before. They want to prosper, to work, to have affordable living conditions. Sounds familiar, this, music to my ears.

I’ve long wanted to hear their voices, to know their wants and for them to know we are listening. It may be the only tangible road ahead. Perhaps to bypass the leaders and the groups and communicate on what is a “grassroots” level is how we will get there. Till this moment we have not yet moved forward in our Muslim/West relations. Despite the years that have passed, we have not yet recovered from past hurt, perhaps we never will, but that’s ok. Like all westerners are not defineable as a whole, neither are all Muslims. We already know about extremism but do we know yet of humanity? The Japanese might say yes. That the passage of time brings tourism, cherry blossoms and admiration for fellow man no matter our pasts.

I say this knowing of colleagues of my husband who are Egyptians, who are presently out of contact. And I fear for them. I fear for them because I see them as people like you and me. Internet users, workers, people who facebook amusing quips. I think of them tonight, and hope that it won’t be long till their voices, are once again heard.

Tracey

God help Anna Bligh

I consider myself agnostic, but the events about to unfold in Queensland over the coming 24 hours could push me one way or the other, once and for all. First, some flooding, then the big floods, then a bit of a cyclone, more rain, and now another cyclone of category 4 proportions. Not the best holiday season.

The strength, clarity and leadership repeatedly illustrated by Premier Bligh however, leads me to thoughts long in the future. Thoughts that will save me from wishing ‘well, if only’ at times of inevitable natural disasters to come. Times like we had on Black Saturday. The Queensland Premier has set the bar, forging a new era of crisis leadership we have been begging for.

For perhaps the first time I feel Australian authorities are acting not only  pre-emptively but also comprehensively. That plans, action and unity of force and authority  have been garnered. The challenge for each individual of facing what cannot be stopped, may now become the makings of courage rather than fear. And that is something to cling to.

Perhaps we can also continue to thank the era in which we suddenly find ourselves for this all-inclusive communicative unleashing. Our everyday digital mediums harnessed for life saving constructive use, alongside the daily titillation by which they sprung into being. News conferences televised via broadband, mobile and twitter alerts, sure. But a less digital communication phenomenon is what is really impressive. Perhaps it’s been gathering momentum for a while, but now, this summer I see. I see sign language. And impressive is what it is. At each news conference and update the signers are there, in the line up, next to the defence personnel, next to the Premier. It is inclusionist, progressive and about time. It does another job though. It instills calm. Because if the people in charge of us, of it all, of today, are this comprehensive, then maybe they really have thought of everything?

Today I wish Queenslanders courage, strength and luck as cyclone Yasi meets their shores. Hold on tight, our will is with you. I hope God’s will is too.

Tracey

Flood levy by negotiation

So, we are to have a flood levy. A softer, more palatable thing than a tax, surely? So leapfrogging the temptation to gripe about the rights and wrongs of such a thing, I’m going straight to the negotiation phase (Tony Abbot: you may want in on this).

In return for acceptance (meaning any shot at re-election)  of the flood levy we use this leverage point to extract what we should have had since 2008. That is; a one size fits all, non negotiable, non exclusion, lock stock and smoking barrel definition of flood cover by insurance companies. This I think, is the protection that all Australians, indeed all clients of the insurance multinationals are looking for. It’s the protection the insurance giants were too clever to be pinned down on despite the 2008 conference to resolve just that. Well, if only hey? When they weazled out of that conference without resolution, why wasn’t a subsequent round of deliberations put in place to get it done? May I say time is of the essence. A deadline might be the thing this time. We’re on to you guys.

Meantime, the floods could keep coming no? Another round of fix ups, another round of floods – I guess that happens when you keep re-building in a flood plain. Speaking of re-building in flood plains, could we not? Towns that are gone are gone. This will be hard for some to hear, but there are other towns. Ones in country Australia just crying out to expand their populations, and they are not in flood plains. Would you really want to do it again anyway? Relocation rather than rebuild would make resources spread further and bring new investment to more geologically stable country areas. While we are at it, maybe we could relocate some of those off-shore jobs (Telco’s that’s you) to country Australia too, where they arguably should have already been. That may be the kind of relief now insuranceless, homeless and incomeless people could use . If it makes it any more palpable you could make adds about how helpful you’ve been….

So do insurance companies donate in times of crisis? We know they exist to profit and will do so again when they raise all our premiums. Can we have a weekly published list of donations from corporate and international circles? Perhaps that would shame some into carrying the burden that so often households are asked to do. After all it’d make it like advertising right? And there’s always money for that.

Tracey

My Australia Day – Melbourne 2011

Happy Australia Day everyone. Well this time round I thought I’d feed my patriotic spirit and do something I’d never done at the same time. If you include the writing of this first post, make that two things I’ve never done.

So I tried to go to the big breaky on the Yarra’s banks at Alexandra Gardens – which really means near the boat sheds before the bridge. Ok, we took our own breaky – gluten free, wheat free, fructose, lactose and acid free with us for obvious reasons….. but also because we got to use the special picnic basket to transport it all. There was the special picnic rug and aluminum old style chairs too (soo comfy). Not many others about at 8am, none of the group vibe I’d been imagining. So it’s a misty, drizzly morn. I thought we could tough it out, stand defiant, sit and make our first steamy cuppa. Husband had less fervor: “I’m just worried about the drizzle”. I mentioned that it wasn’t like it was flooding and surely we could enjoy ourselves in what was really nothing too challenging, especially considering the plight of others with real rain to worry about. Apparently not. With the rellies arrival we were relocated in a not worth mentioning locale 10 minutes later. Pleasant conversation ensued, etc, etc, sprint back to car to deposit picnic gear, feed meter and hot foot it to the town hall right in time for the formalities.

7.45am entering city - Melbourne soccer stadium

Now I had been looking forward to this part believe it or not. A big fan of speeches (the good ones, and you never know when that will be) I’d been keen to place myself in an ideal position for the Governor’s address. There’d be the flag raising too, which I had imagined as an emotion charged moment with perhaps an outpouring of cheers from the crowd, now bonded as one great mass of Australians all together. Then The People’s March.

Well if only I knew sign language because then I’d know what Governor De Kretser had said. He and the other speakers. The speakers who lost us. You could feel them lose our attention as talk amongst the crowd escalated from ‘to be expected’ to disrespectful. But why? Where was the sound man? We were 6 rows back, front and center and we had a great view of not only our Governor, but the Premier, the Lord Mayor, wives and partners – which was good because we ended up taking snaps instead. Originally we were in the sweet spot for the audio, further away, but couldn’t see anything. Argh!

Aus Day Scots

The podiums: how about the main one in a commanding central position? Surely the master of ceremonies could have commanded “if we could have your full attention please” from the distracted if not madding crowd, or perhaps a “quiet please”, surely not out of place in Melbourne in January? So, during all this lack of audible meaning I think the flag must have been raised – but I missed it. And the People’s March – well lucky we stayed because it was the highlight. It was full of  lovely, interesting and uplifting faces and moments, and I felt my patriot heart swell with pride at last.

Tracey

Australia Day 'Abbey Road'