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Author Topic: Child migrants to Australia  (Read 820 times)

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Offline Miss Demeanour

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Child migrants to Australia
« on: November 16, 2009, 06:24:39 PM »
Ok so there's lots in the news today about the Australian PM apologising to all those individuals who were shipped to Australia and who , by all accounts, had a less than desirable childhood  noooo:

What I don't understand about this is that all the reports state Gordon Brown intends to issue an apology on behalf of Britain and this is likely to be in the New Year

WTF  cussing:

How difficult is it to open your mouth and say those words without having some stage managed event to publicise this. Or is it that he doesn't want to share centre stage with Mr Rudd

How feckin contrived  censored:

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Offline Pastis

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Re: Child migrants to Australia
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2009, 06:46:37 PM »
This has the hallmark of yet another mistimed spin all over it  noooo:. The "S" word is like garlic to the vampire Broon for the things he has done let alone the things that were done by preceding administrations.

I see the Rudd thing as an attempt to set the record straight about what went on ~ the children, now adults, are not seeking compensation apparently but some kind of formal redress.
Brown, if he ever gets around to it will no doubt cock it up  ::)
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Offline Barman

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Re: Child migrants to Australia
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2009, 06:53:15 PM »
My thoughts entirely...

What a fuck up the man is...  noooo:

By saying "we will apologise next year" it removes any sincerity from it...  noooo:
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Offline Miss Demeanour

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Re: Child migrants to Australia
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2009, 06:54:12 PM »
Up to half of the 7,000 children who were transported are still alive and preparing to make a claim against the British government for their suffering in state-run and religious institutions.

Norman Johnston, president of the International Association of Child Migrants and Their Families, said "significant" reparations must be paid by the British government.

"No amount of money is going to undo what has been done to us, but we would feel the government would have failed if it was an insulting amount offered," he said. "Many of us did not have proper educations while we were in care, and as a result we didn't have access to good jobs, or the ability to earn a decent wage."

Mr Johnston, himself a former child migrant suggested that there should be a flat payment for all former migrants, "because we all suffered the same".

He pointed to the recent case in Ireland when 14,000 victims of abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church were awarded a total of ?98 million.

"It would have to be fairly substantial, we suffered no less than they did, in fact we suffered more because we were taken from our families and our country, with no hope of return," he said.

On Monday, a handful of those attended a ceremony in which Kevin Rudd, the Australian prime minister, apologised for the horrors they suffered during their years in care.

In an emotional speech, Mr Rudd apologised "for the physical suffering, the emotional starvation and the cold absence of love, of tenderness, of care. Sorry for the tragedy ? the absolute tragedy ? of childhoods lost."

Mr Rudd spoke specifically about the experiences of thousands of British children "shipped to Australia as child migrants, robbed of your families, robbed of your homelands".

He added: "To those who were told they were orphans but were taken here without their parents consent, we acknowledge the lies you were told, the lies told to your mothers and fathers and the pain the lies caused for a life time."

Gordon Brown has pledged to make a similar apology next year to the 150,000 British children, some as young as two years old, who were part of the migrant programs to Australia, Canada and other former colonies. But unlike Mr Rudd, he has not yet ruled out offering compensation.



A decision would be a lonely thought in Mr Brown's head  evil:
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Offline Pastis

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Re: Child migrants to Australia
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2009, 06:58:18 PM »
Quote from: Pastis on November 16, 2009, 06:46:37 PM
~ the children, now adults, are not seeking compensation apparently but some kind of formal redress.

Ooops. Well I got that bit wrong ~ I was going on what I heard on Today in the stupid early hours of this morning  redface:
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Offline Miss Demeanour

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Re: Child migrants to Australia
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2009, 07:00:38 PM »
No matter Pastis - an apology is not going to mitigate against any kind of compensation they are seeking .

No one is denying this didn't happen..... it's just that we are, the Big G ( not Growler) that is ,   refusing to acknowledge it right now.....it prolly clashes with other apologies he needs to make this week  Banghead Banghead Banghead
« Last Edit: November 16, 2009, 07:05:21 PM by Miss Demeanor »
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Offline Pastis

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Re: Child migrants to Australia
« Reply #6 on: November 16, 2009, 07:04:29 PM »
Exactly. Keeeeeeel heeeem  evil:
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Offline Barman

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Re: Child migrants to Australia
« Reply #7 on: November 16, 2009, 07:45:12 PM »
I notice no mention is made of those that had a better life than they would have had if left in the UK...  noooo:
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Offline Snoopy

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Re: Child migrants to Australia
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2009, 08:33:28 PM »
No compo claim in it is why.  noooo:



P'raps brown is going to say sorry that we didn't send him and Blair
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