Fed: Pollies and Aboriginal activists should have cold shower

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2000
Fed: Pollies and Aboriginal activists should have cold shower

By Barbara Adam

BRISBANE, April 4 AAP - It's time Aboriginal activists and politicians embroiled in
the stolen generation dispute took a cold shower, Queensland opposition leader Rob Borbidge
said today.

"We can tear ourselves to pieces over these issues or we can say: `righto, everyone,
lets cool it, lets move forward, lets address the issues on the ground'," he said.

"I think its very important that everyone take the proverbial cold shower."

Mr Borbidge's call for cool heads followed threats by prominent Aboriginal leaders
to return their Orders of Australia awards while activists talked of violent disruption
at the Sydney Olympics.

Aboriginal leaders have been incensed by federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Herron's
claim that only 10 per cent of Aboriginal children were forcibly taken from their parents
therefore they could not be classified as a stolen generation.

Mr Borbidge said although a legal argument could be mounted over the definition of
a generation, it would be pointless.

"We can have this argument but at the end of the day is it helping those people that
were stolen? he asked a news conference.

"Is it doing anything at all in terms of improving Aboriginal health services and life
expectancy and infant mortality rates?

"The short answer is no."

Mr Borbidge said he understood the point Senator Herron was trying to make and he also
understood why Aboriginal people were offended.

But he insisted threats were counterproductive to the reconciliation process.

AAP bja/sc/it/bwl

KEYWORD: STOLEN BORBIDGE

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