Race relations abysmal, says Einfeld Source: AAP | Published: Friday April 28, 3:44 PM Australia's current race relations were 'abysmal' and would not improve until a strong leader truly embraced reconciliation, a senior judge said today. In a thinly veiled attack on the Howard government, Justice Marcus Einfeld told the Asia Pacific Governance 2000 conference in Brisbane, that Australia was in danger of forgetting its own human rights responsibilities. 'Australia not only has an obligation to speak out and act against persecution running rampant in countries both close to and far from home; we have an obligation to prevent and remedy human rights abuses on our own soil,' Justice Einfeld said. He said the nation's commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was looking 'decidedly hollow' and the world was taking notice. Australia fell short of its obligations to children, poor women, disabled people, refugees and new migrants, he said. But the continued suffering of the indigenous population had been the country's 'greatest shame'. 'Australia's indigenous peoples still face gross inequality deeply rooted in history and the prejudiced, intolerant or stubborn attitudes of the white community,' the judge said. Justice Einfeld's speech came as Prime Minister John Howard again refused this week to apologise to indigenous people ahead of next month's release of the document on reconciliation. The Federal Court judge called on Reconciliation Council members not to let the government 'off the hook' and recommend it should make a national apology. Mr Howard has consistently ruled out a formal apology because it would be inappropriate. Speaking after his address, Justice Einfeld described such a response as an act of political self preservation. 'It's pure stubbornness and politics,' he said. 'It's playing for the Hanson vote, the margin between the two major parties is so tiny, the result is so tight that every 100 votes you can get in the bush could make a difference.' Justice Einfeld pointed to Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Herron's bungling of the government's senate report on the stolen generation and mandatory sentencing in West Australia and the Northern Territory as illustrations of why he perceived Australia in an 'abysmal state in race matters today'. He said a real shift in race relations would have to be spearheaded by the Prime Minister of the day who would inspire others to follow suit. 'It has to be led with inspiration, it can't be lead by political qualifications and political consequences,' Justice Einfeld said. 'Someone needs to get out there and say this is the decent thing to do and we're all going to do it.' -- _________________________________ Truth is a pathless land. --- Krishnamurti ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
