Tony Abbott: ‘Nothing But Bush’ In Australia Before White Settlement

[Morphine Prince 109,683]

The self-appointed “Prime Minister for Aboriginal Affairs†Tony Abbott has reiterated the legal fiction of “terra nullius†stating that Australia was “nothing but bush†before British invasion and called pre-colonisation civilisation “extraordinarily basic and rawâ€.

Mr Abbott made the comments to an international business breakfast in Sydney this morning in an audience that included British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was in town before the G20 summit in Brisbane this weekend.

While Mr Abbott has said he would make lifting the disadvantage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples a priority for his government, he has again wiped the oldest continuing culture on earth from the history books.

“As we look around this glorious city, as we see the extraordinary development, it’s hard to think that back in 1788 it was nothing but bush and that the Marines, and the convicts and the sailors that struggled off those 12 ships just a few hundred yards from where we are… must have thought they’d come almost to the Moon.

“Everything would have been so strange. Everything would have seemed so extraordinarily basic and raw and now a city which is one of the most spectacular cities on our globe, and in a country which is as free and as fair and as prosperous as any."

But Mr Abbott did not mention the hundreds of Aboriginal nations who made this land home for almost 60,000 years, who managed the vast swathes of country under an extraordinary and complex land management system that incorporated aspects of their spirituality.

He also did not mention that the belief there was nothing in Australia but bush was overturned in the 1992 Mabo High Court decision, which paved the way for the Native Title Act, a weaker form of land rights.

Aboriginal people haven’t been seen as "flora and fauna" since the 1967 referendum.

This isn’t the first time Mr Abbott has made some questionable comments about black history.

Earlier this year, he named white settlement as Australia’s “defining moment†despite it leading to thousands of Aboriginal deaths, as well as the stealing of Aboriginal land, children, wages and remains.

"The arrival of the First Fleet was the defining moment in the history of this continent. Let me repeat that, it was the defining moment in the history of this continent," he said in August.

"It was the moment this continent became part of the modern world."

As Opposition leader, Mr Abbott also said Aboriginal people had to move on during an interview on Survival Day, where First Nations mourn the atrocities that occurred following the arrival of the British.

Source: https://newmatilda.com/2014/11/14/tony-abbott-says-%E2%80%98nothing-bush%E2%80%99-australia-white-settlement

 

Not Australian, but this made my blood boil. Who elected this ignorant fool?  

[MahoganySnitch 67]

JFC 

[Nicole 1,809]

He disgusts me. 

[Dr Rogoe 23]

This is beyond mess

Who voted for this redneck

[Cher 15]

Source: https://newmatilda.com/2014/11/14/tony-abbott-says-%E2%80%98nothing-bush%E2%80%99-australia-white-settlement

 

Not Australian, but this made my blood boil. Who elected this ignorant fool?  

the idiotic white bogans  

[Bebe 17,289]

I can't believe my peers voted this buffoon into office 

 

They were convinced by the misogynistic and xenophobic media outlets that ignored the achievements of Julia Gillard and frightened the population with "boat people" who tried to seek asylum in Australia.

 

At least Labor made small steps in reconciliation and support for Indigenous Australians.

 

Abbot is seriously the worst. He cut the jobs of  professional child counselors to fund the hiring of faith-based chaplains rather than social workers. I mean... Uugh.

[No Angel 128]

Jesus Christ...

[Danny Boy 0]

I ****ing hate him so much

[Blake 7,385]

Tony Abbott makes me ashamed to be an Australian.

[Bebe 17,289]

This is beyond mess

Who voted for this redneck

Well to be fair with my Australian peers, a lot of people were disillusioned with the Labor party which is now the opposition party for the current Liberal government (Liberal is a very different thing over here, they are the conservative party). There was a lot of internal conflict and corruption within the party during their time in government which resulted in three changes in Prime Minister and even more attempts of changes.

 

It was a really messy political situation here for a while. Hopefully Labor will win the next election, but that will be a while.

[xoxo cupcakke 4,781]

My God. At first I was like what does George W. Bush have to do with Australia but then I realized and I'm  :air: .

 

That's like saying in 1492, the Americas were nothing but swamps when those proud conquistadors brought civility to the area. Abbott's a mess. Hopefully, the next American president is not that kind of person. If it is, I'll stay in the US till 2020 when I will graduate and move to Canada or some tish

[thatfoxyfeeling 13,401]

His wording is offensive but he is speaking the truth, if the British didn't invade and make settlement another culture would have. He just isn't a good public speaker, he should have focused on the achievements Australia has made in it's short history.

[SychosSoChic 9,995]

I can't believe my peers voted this buffoon into office 

 

They were convinced by the misogynistic and xenophobic media outlets that ignored the achievements of Julia Gillard and frightened the population with "boat people" who tried to seek asylum in Australia.

 

At least Labor made small steps in reconciliation and support for Indigenous Australians.

 

Abbot is seriously the worst. He cut the jobs of  professional child counselors to fund the hiring of faith-based chaplains rather than social workers. I mean... Uugh.

 

Wait wat 

[Morphine Prince 109,683]

 Abbot is seriously the worst. He cut the jobs of  professional child counselors to fund the hiring of faith-based chaplains rather than social workers. I mean... Uugh.

Wait.... is this a joke? :sharon:

[Bebe 17,289]

Wait wat 

 

Wait.... is this a joke?

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/14/budget-it-will-be-chaplains-not-secular-social-workers-at-schools

 

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-letters/tony-abbott-out-of-line-with-stance-on-religion-in-schools-20140828-109fta.html

I wish  :millie: