from Robert J Lee
Paying homage to non-existent blackfellas for ‘allowing an Anzac ceremony to be held on their land’ by the ALP Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui has upset RSL members and a part of the Mareeba audience.
Cairns News was contacted by ex-servicemen and an audience member attacking Mrs Lui and a Mareeba Shire Councillor for politicising what should have been a speech about those fallen soldiers, sailors and airmen who were being commemorated.
One returned serviceman, who did not wish to be named after ABC Radio beat up a story about a wrong wreath being placed on the cenotaph by Member for Kennedy Bob Katter, said he did not want to be harassed or misrepresented by ABC reporters.
“I am very upset about the local member and a councillor talking about thanking blackfellas for the use of their land who have no bearing upon this ceremony,” the ex-serviceman said.
“Since when is it their land?
“How dare the lunatic left of the Labor Party try to hijack an Anzac ceremony.”ends
An accurate reflection thank you Ken. If any readers like to search ‘Phoenicians’ in Cairns News a lot about the Aboriginal industry will be revealed. We must stop this racial divisiveness immediately and stop parliaments from thanking blackfellas for what? Siphoning $28 billion from other Australians because they are the privileged race? Only the top elite echelon, about 1 per cent benefit from the quadrillions handed over to them by suckered governments every year. Blackfellas on the ground get zilch.Ed
She didn’t need to mention anything about any specific race, nor to the “65,000 years” speculation and conjecture currently being shoved down our collective throats. 3,000 people of the current aboriginal race who served in the Boer, the first and second world wars ARE equally respected for their service and sacrifice. But why the need to mention race? She should have taken the political chip off her shoulder for the moment and respected all those collectively and inclusively who died for us and our country. Generations of aboriginals have received billions of dollars in disproportionate support financially, housing, and a wide variety of government services and assistance, but they are never satisfied. My Australian passport is identical and equal to an aboriginal persons Australian passport. Quit telling me that you are the “traditional owners” and that this is YOUR land! Respect is earned, not demanded.
My comment above should have read ‘did NOT have the guts’.
I live in Mareeba and have attended the ANZAC day Parade for over 40 years. We were sat only four metres from the Cenotaph on Wednesday. My husband used to march proudly
with his medals. He served in the Middle East and the Far East. The member for Cook made only passing reference to the previous 65,000 years, she could have mentioned the 2,600 generations who lived on this land before we came. She could have mentioned the 3,000 Aborigines who served overseas from the Boer War, the First and Second World Wars and Vietnam. My Dad was a Spitfire pilot who would not have been impressed by this racism. Anyone who thinks our men and women, went to fight for any other reason than to save Australia could not be more wrong, The War Memorial in Canberra aims to name all who served – except the Aborigines whose names are lost.. The returned serviceman may be one of the old brigade of the Mareeba RSL who banned Aborigines whether they served or not, he did have the guts to reveal his name. This ban does not apply nowadays I am pleased to say.