Victorias Indigenous people experienced genocide, truth-telling inquiry says
GuardianJUN 29
Australia: Inquiry Finds British Committed Genocide Against Indigenous Population
Above:Â Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan appears before the Yoorrook Justice Commission on April 29th, 2024Â Image copyright:Â Justin McManus /The Age/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
This historic truth-telling process finally acknowledges what Aboriginal Victorians have always known: that systematic genocide was committed against their ancestors. The evidence is overwhelming: mass killings, forced child removals, cultural destruction decimated populations by 75% in just two decades. These aren't ancient wrongs but ongoing injustices that continue today through economic exclusion and systemic racism. It is time to face the truth with contrition and commitment to doing better.
Right narrative
Australia is not reckoning with the past so much as creating a cult of self-flagellation and perpetual victimhood to assuage the guilt of upper-class liberals. You will not find a single crime in the history of the British Empire that no other nation of sufficient size is not also guilty of. Ignoring the positives of colonialism and the reality of what was considered acceptable in those times serves no one except interest groups and impedes progress and a real understanding of that history.
Editor's Note
This story currently has limited reporting from right-wing sources. We will continue to monitor all major outlets and update our coverage as additional perspectives become available.