The former Liberal senator for Queensland was a constitutional conservative who tried to change the system from within.
The original Indigenous Voice to parliament was not one of grievance or hectoring complaint. It was that of a dignified, quietly spoken Liberal senator who became the first Aboriginal member of any Australian parliament way back in 1971.
I knew Neville Bonner well; in my youth, he was to me, as he was to others taking their early steps in politics, something of a mentor. He was one of the few truly inspiring people I have ever met. Why is it that, when it comes to including Indigenous Australians in the political system, the Liberal and National parties have all the firsts? The first senator; the first state MP ; the first member of the House of Representatives ; the first minister and member of cabinet ; the first head of government .
You will, however, find Paul Keating’s Redfern speech and Kevin Rudd’s apology to the stolen generations. Undoubtedly, the most eloquent orations about Indigenous disadvantage have come from Labor prime ministers. Words matter, and each of those speeches marks an important waypoint in our national consciousness.Yet, as the old saying goes, fine words butter no parsnips. Labor may have had the rhetorical triumphs, but it has so often been Liberal governments that achieved the results.
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