...a rare moment of unanimity...
The day after the desecration floods of support for the Mabo family came from around the nation. Telephone calls, TV and radio reports, faxes and telegrams arrived. Prime Minister Paul Keating pledged to create a national monument to honour the memory of Mabo. The government would also pay for repairs to the tombstone and the relocation of the grave if the family so desired. The Australian Army offered to fly Eddie's coffin and the headstone to Murray Island.
In the national parliament there was a rare moment of unanimity. First Paul Keating, then opposition leader John Howard condemned the racist attack.
Talkback radio was alive with comments and responses. One caller in Sydney described Mabo as Australia's Martin Luther King. Others described the desecration as an act of terrorism. One newspaper editorial suggested Mabo's face should grace a postage stamp.
In the national parliament there was a rare moment of unanimity. First Paul Keating, then opposition leader John Howard condemned the racist attack.
Talkback radio was alive with comments and responses. One caller in Sydney described Mabo as Australia's Martin Luther King. Others described the desecration as an act of terrorism. One newspaper editorial suggested Mabo's face should grace a postage stamp.
Keywords: desecration, Keating, Paul, Las, Mer, reconciliation, Townsville, 1995
Author: Graham, Trevor