AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2000
Fed: Causley says Pyne has no idea on stolen =
2 National Party MP De-Anne Kelly said she supported Senator Herron and did not believe
there was a stolen generation.
"Certainly there's been disadvantage, obviously, and hurt but not a stolen generation,"
she told reporters.
Liberal MPs representing more affluent areas of Australia should take time to meet
and learn about Aboriginal people before making decisions about them, Mrs Kelly said.
"I find it strange that people that live in some of the highest income electorates
in Australia are trying to make decisions about people, including Aboriginal people, who
live in some of the lowest income electorates in Australia," she said.
"I think it would be very helpful if they made a few tours through rural and regional
Australia and met with some of the Aboriginal leaders who are not on the front page of
the paper every day."
Australians were tired of an apology being sought for the Aboriginal people as a code
word for money, Mrs Kelly said.
"The reality is that you can't unmake the past and you can't make our generation responsible
for what has happened in past generations."
Federal Liberal MP Warren Entsch agreed most moderate liberals had no idea what to
think of the stolen generation.
"It would be better if rather than just grab a snippet from the news they took the
time to read the report that the Senator (Herron) has put out," he said.
"If they go around to the communities and start talking to the people in the communities,
not those few highly paid national leaders that continually are sought for advice, but
if they go into the communities you will find that Senator Herron is held in very high
esteem."
Mr Entsch said Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins' views were not supported in grass
roots aboriginal communities.
AAP eg/dep/arb/bwl
KEYWORD: STOLEN LIBS
2 CANBERRA
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