Beyond the fact of our heritage and identity should being Indigenous really matter?

On Wednesday night I interviewed Liberal Party MP Ken Wyatt for 7.30.

The first Indigenous person to present a prime time national news and current affairs program for ABC television and the first Indigenous person to be appointed as a Federal Government Minister.

This shouldn't be remarkable but I suppose it is. The fact that it has taken until 2017 makes it so.

But beyond the fact of our heritage and identity should this really matter?

I don't think so. I deliberately avoided dwelling on Mr Wyatt's personal achievement beyond a quick note of congratulations.

What was far more interesting to me was how he came to his promotion

Mr Wyatt has been appointed Minister for Aged Care and Indigenous Health as part of a reshuffle forced by the resignation of former health minister Susan Ley.

Two weeks into the year and the Government had suffered its first scandal and setback.

He is part of a Government that is struggling in the polls, is at war with itself, and has started the year on the back foot.

I wanted to ask him about how politicians can restore the faith and trust of an increasingly sceptical electorate; I wanted to ask him if his celebration is tempered by Ms Ley's resignation; I wanted to ask him why former prime minister Tony Abbott — a man Mr Wyatt has praised for his commitment to Indigenous affairs — continues to languish on the backbench, again passed over by Malcolm Turnbull.

What I did not want to ask is how he felt about being the first Indigenous anything.

I wouldn't ask Arthur Sinodinos how he feels about representing Greek Australians or Julie Bishop how she feels about representing women. I wouldn't presume that a gay MP speaks for homosexuals.

Mr Wyatt is a federal Minister — he is there to be held accountable. He is there to represent all Australians.

Yet, predictably, so much of the focus has been on Mr Wyatt's Indigenous identity. Immediately there was media speculation about when, and if, he should be appointed Indigenous affairs minister.

Really? Why not foreign minister or defence minister or education minister or treasurer — while I am at it, why not prime minister?

Why the assumption that identifying as Indigenous means he has the answers for all that plagues first nation's peoples in Australia?

Mr Wyatt comes from an Indigenous community in a particular part of Western Australia — what does he know about Indigenous people in outer Melbourne or southern Queensland? What is this assumption that Indigenous people somehow share the same struggles, think the same or vote the same?

As a senior Indigenous voice in Parliament I did ask Mr Wyatt about the push for Indigenous recognition in the constitution or a treaty; I did ask him about Indigenous health outcomes — a situation that is largely getting worse not better. This is his job now.

I do not assume he speaks for all Indigenous people and I certainly don't assume all Indigenous people are going to agree with him.

The Indigenous population is diverse and dynamic. The great majority live in urban cities and towns; the great majority are of mixed heritage and the majority are married to non-Indigenous people.

The Aboriginal middle class is growing at a rate much faster than the comparable white middle class. The number of Indigenous university graduates is far higher — three or four times higher — than the number of Indigenous people in prisons.

Mr Wyatt is on the Government frontbench to do a job — it is a critical job. If he does it well, he saves lives — if he doesn't, he should be scrutinised and criticised like any other government minister.

He has broken a barrier. We won't break the next one — Australia's first Indigenous prime minister — if we think being Indigenous is the most interesting thing about us.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-19/stan-grant-heritage-aside-should-being-indigenous-really-matter/8195420

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Fuck off being such a racist prat,  Didge...

You lost the argument hours ago, you pathetic reptitive little ratbag..


Are you so stupidly  thick,  that you  don't even realise how racist a nong you're being ?


If you're trying to impress the hardcore racists like Nems, Raggs and Syl, you're certainly going down the right track..

Stop being such a dictatorial and clueless bastard without a solid argument !..    

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Fuck off being such a racist prat,  Didge...

You lost the argument hours ago, you pathetic reptitive little ratbag..


Are you so stupidly  thick,  that you  don't even realise how racist a nong you're being ?


If you're trying to impress the hardcore racists like Nems, Raggs and Syl, you're certainly going down the right track..

Stop being such a dictatorial and clueless bastard without a solid argument !..    

Raggamuffin wrote:

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Fuck off being such a racist prat,  Didge...

You lost the argument hours ago, you pathetic reptitive little ratbag..


Are you so stupidly  thick,  that you  don't even realise how racist a nong you're being ?


If you're trying to impress the hardcore racists like Nems, Raggs and Syl, you're certainly going down the right track..

Stop being such a dictatorial and clueless bastard without a solid argument !..    

When are you going to stop being a hardcore idiot? If you want to rage and scream all over the forum, kindly keep me out of it.

Thorin wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:Do they even live in Australia?
I doubt it?  or they would think you are dickhead too.
No one holds YOUR views down here. In fact I have been debating it elsewhere.

and you have My side the PRO-reconciliation side that says
Australia day is 'invasion day' or at best "New South Wales Day"   and out of respect we should change it to that date of federation.

OR you have the anti reconciliation side (white privileged side) that says it is Australia day and the Aboriginals should just be grateful (Sounds like you actually)


anyone that lives here knows the stuff you posted is nonsense.  because if they have any interest in the aboriginals at all they know all the geographic distributions and populations. Yes a few group of a few hundred in Extremely isolated places say they want sovereignty, until coming to understand all that entails. then they are happy with forming a tribal land corporation which the gives then Fiscal control and ownership just like a corporation that bought a block of land.

1) You have repeated you do not believe me. I dont care and is misdirection, my family is massive and is all over the world. I have cousins in Australia and friends

2) Its not up to you to decide what Australia day is. You are by doing so denying the rights of thousands of Australians who have died as being classed as Australians. What right have you to do that?

3) Here we go again, how can it be nonsense when a group of aborigines want self determination? You are saying they cannot have this because others do not want this. So that does not make me wrong at all, it just shows you again are being prejudiced towards those that want self determination. You have no right to decide for them. So you clearly have no interest in the Aborigines that want to have self determination and wrongly think you can decide their fate

veya_victaous wrote:

Thorin wrote:

1) You have repeated you do not believe me. I dont care and is misdirection, my family is massive and is all over the world. I have cousins in Australia and friends

2) Its not up to you to decide what Australia day is. You are by doing so denying the rights of thousands of Australians who have died as being classed as Australians. What right have you to do that?

3) Here we go again, how can it be nonsense when a group of aborigines want self determination? You are saying they cannot have this because others do not want this. So that does not make me wrong at all, it just shows you again are being prejudiced towards those that want self determination. You have no right to decide for them. So you clearly have no interest in the Aborigines that want to have self determination and wrongly think you can decide their fate

OK I am giving you an OFFICIAL WARNING
because by number 2 YOU are not interested in Current Aboriginal reconciliation politics at all
SO stop posting IF you are not interested in the topic.

You have ruined a number of thread now posting you ignorant racist bile
Seriously Give me one reason and you are gone

veya_victaous wrote:I'm not Impartial that true
Maybe IF you do have relatives down here ask them
What sort of Whiteman Worships the rainbow serpent?

Cause They will tell you "only a rabid aboriginal rights campaigner would".

SO please do stop this nonsense You don't understand any of the issue to the point I cannot debate them with you, The fact YOU don't KNOW that Australia day is the Biggest current issue (being in 5 days time and this happens every year THIS year we have some momentum) basically sums up why IF you support Aboriginals having a better life You need to shut up and listen sometimes.

I have already Told you you have hit a nerve, because this is something I REALLY CAMPAIGN FOR!!! I'm not just a keyboard warrior and to see you must post nonsense is really pissing me off.

Australia Day is the official National Day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip.

veya_victaous wrote:it is not MY perception, unless you think being without everything is good
YES i have fucking talked to them, what part do you not understand More Aboriginals Live in the region I have spent my whole life up until a few weeks ago than anywhere else!!

UNLESS YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALS in which case i go back to the fact YOU ARE NOT DOING IT IN THE UK because it is Stupid and unrealistic  


Maybe you should read the article
Stan Grant is the First Aboriginal to be on TV in a serious manner he has every right to say it AND you have NO right to question his opinion, with YOUR very poor perceptions of what is right.

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

EVERYONE should have a good look at  Thorin