It always amazes me how some people have a problem with apologising for profound acts of injustice and murder that were carried out by previous governments under their name.
Then the next day they hop onto a train to go to work and say sorry to someone for merely brushing up against them at the door way.
(then there is the legal argument of admiting liability to the stolen generations and having to pay compensation. Well, the estimated compensation is around 1 billion dollars. A lot of money that wont heal the wonds but will help in making life better for the victims and their families. Almost as much money the HOWARD governmnet spent of ADVERTISING over the 11 years in office - that was over 2 billion dollars with almost 500 million being spent during the election year of 2007. And its almost as much money the HOWARD government has spent so far on teh ILLEGAL IRAQ INVASION. The liberal party and its supporters have no problem with wasting tax payers money on these sort of illegal and wasteful activities.
BUT when it comes to paying compensation to the indigineous people for taking their land, their lives, and destroying many of their families by stealing their children, the FINANCIAL costs are put up as some sort of massive barrier. And of course we all know why they do that - they actually believe that the governments of the time did nothing wrong and were actually helping the childrn with their arrogant, racist and cruel policies - HOW PATHETIC the road that Howard took this nation on.
Howard's damage to Australia's international reputation will take some decades to repair. We like the USA are basically excremental stench in the eyes and noses of almost every nation on earth - We have a lot of work to do as a nation to heal the crimes of the past