Rudd's Apology Analysis

POLITICAL DIMENSIONS OF THE APOLOGY While it has been proven that the omission of genocide is a crucial flaw in Rudd’s apology, it introduces the implication of why the Australian government neglected to directly engage with the this term. There are several important facts to consider, an important one being that Rudd’s election campaign (representing the Labour Party) emphasized that an apology be given as part of his platform (Barta 2008). The previous administration, led by John Howard, held anti-apologist views that resisted creating a ‘culture of guilt’ in Australia and believed that current generations do not have the obligation to apologize for historical injustices (ibid). The unapologetic behaviour of the Liberal Party led to increased controversy and criticism of their views, creating a resurgence of media attention on Australia’s past treatment of aboriginal communities …show more content…
Much of the literature on post-atrocity apology considers the idea that public apology is used as a diplomatic tool to serve states’ private interests – an apology is likely to be given if reconciliation with the victims group is aligned with the states policy interests (Jones 2011). Rudd’s apology serves political interests because it legitimizes the new leadership of Australia by showing following-through on a pressing matter for the country. In the aftermath of the Howard administration, to build public support for the labour party it was important to capitalize on public guilt by presenting a candidate that works to distance Australia from sentiments of its colonial past (Salter 2013). This indicates that through apology, Rudd is attempting to close public discourse on aboriginal concerns and resolve the attention given to the issue without proper reconciliation (Barta

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