Lib endorses racist 'apology' email
By Glenn Milne
February 17, 2008 01:00am
Article from: The Sunday Mail (Qld)
* Mock apology doesn't amuse Nelson
* Aborigines accused of cannibalism
* It's only a joke - Goode
BRENDAN Nelson has been embarrassed by a racist version of an "apology" to the Stolen Generations being circulated by prominent Liberals who don't believe the Opposition Leader should have supported last week's historic gesture.
The mock apology accuses Aborigines of being cannibals and ungrateful for the assistance they have received from white governments.
It begins: "We apologise for giving you free doctors and free medical care and medications, which allow you to survive and multiply so that you can demand apologies.
"We apologise for helping you to read and teaching you the English language and thus we opened up to you the entire European civilisation, thought and enterprise.
"We feel that we must apologise for building hundreds of homes for you, which you have vandalised and destroyed. We apologise for giving you law and order which has helped prevent you from slaughtering one another and using the unfortunate for food purposes."
The document is being circulated via email in Sydney by prominent Liberal and businessman Ian Goode. Mr Goode, a former builder, is well known in Cronulla, the southern Sydney suburb that was the scene of ugly race riots in December 2005.
Mr Goode was quoted at the time for blaming the riots on Lebanese Muslims.
While Mr Goode yesterday denied being the author of the racist "apology" - which is headed "the APOLOGY Kevin Rudd should be giving to the Aboriginals!!" - he endorsed its sentiments at the top of his email with the words: "Not politically correct, but close to the point."
Senior Liberal sources confirmed yesterday that Mr Goode was active in the party and had been chosen as a pre-selector in the recent controversial pre-selection for the Cronulla-based federal seat of Cook, though he was unable to take his place in that process.
Mr Goode also heads up the Cronulla Nippers Club - the biggest youth surf organisation in Australia.
"It was only a joke," he said.
Mr Goode said one of the people he had forwarded it to was a member of the ALP. He said he had only sent it to people he regarded as personal friends.
The "apology" he circulated continues: "We apologise for developing large farms and properties, which today feed you people, where before, you had the benefits of living off the land and starving during droughts.
"We apologise for providing you with warm clothing made of fabric to replace the animal skins you used before. We apologise for building roads and railway tracks between cities and building cars so that you no longer have to walk over harsh terrain."
"We apologise for paying off your vehicle when you fail to pay the instalments."
It concludes: "We are only too happy to take back all the above and return you to the paradise of the Outback, whenever you are ready."
The email is likely to be seized on by critics of Dr Nelson who believe his bi-partisan apology in Parliament last week was not heartfelt and that sections of the Liberal Party are continuing to privately oppose the decision.
Dr Nelson immediately distanced himself from Mr Goode. "The sentiments in the email do not represent the views of Dr Nelson," a spokesman said.
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