It's been a month and a half since we finally brought an end to 11 years of conservative rule. And so far, I still am exceedingly happy with the change.
Kevin Rudd has ratified the Kyoto protocol. Finally, we have intent to invest in renewable energies, for which there is an abundant untapped source on our continent.
They are already working on an apology to the stolen generations, thus allowing us to move forward from this stumbling point onto practical issues with mutual trust. Rather than setting up a compensation fund, I think the Labor Government have erred on a very practical side by promising to fund counselling for members of the stolent generation and help in finding their families from which they were separated.
The Northern Territory intervention has lost the objectionable bits. The Government will still support an increase in policing to tackle abuse in indigenous communities. However, they have re-instated the permit system and CDEP. The permit system allows indigenous communities ti have a say about who comes onto their land. This way, they are able to keep out drug runners, grog runners and mining companies (who I believe would have eventually used the changes to get their way into theese communities without permission). CDEP is a work for the dole scheme that has proved to be an important form of employment in remote communities and puts an end to passive welfare.
In Queensland's Cape York, instead of having all Aboriginal parents simply lose their welfare money and have it quarantined so that it has to be spent on groceries and health, the Labor Government will only do this to parents who have not been fulfilling this oblgation to their children anyway. This means that responsible parents are still able to do the right thing without the heavy hand of paternalism from the Howard Government.
WorkChoices, largely finished. Unfair dismisssal laws are back and inidivudal workplace agreements are gone, much to the relief of employees and employers.
No performance pay for teachers. A practical move.
And today a fantastic announcement that Howard's nationalistic, biased history curriculum will be ditched. I assume we will get something that instead promoes inquiry and research and does avknowledge Aboriginal history and fights for democratic rights among all Australians.
As yet, no change to refugee policy, but I feel secure that Kevin Rudd will not make the ridiculous race-based commentaries that we have grown used to seeing from John Howard, Phillip Ruddock, and Kevin Andrews.
All in all, it's a bright new day.