Hot on the heels of the ratification of Kyoto and the end of the "Pacific Solution" comes the demise of another icon of the Howard-era, with the new Australian government opening talks with Aboriginal leaders on the wording of an apology for Austrlaia's crimes against its indigenous people. The actual apology will be delivered next year.
This is a move Australia has to make. But more than that, it also needs to take concrete steps to lift the living standards of its indigenous minority, reduce racism, and enable them to be full participants in Australian society. That's a long-term project, the work of a generation - but a formal apology is the best way to begin it.
