One member of the Liberal Party and his historical myopia

Herald Sun: Oliver Walsh in 2014

This was the Herald Sun reporting on Oliver Walsh on 24 March 2016:

AN INDIGENOUS services group head says the Darebin deputy mayor should resign for questioning the genocide of Aborigines.

Deputy mayor Oliver Walsh last week said he was “not totally comfortable” with the inclusion of Aborigines in the city’s monument to Victims of Genocide and Genocidal Acts.

“I still have issues with this,” Cr Walsh said at Monday night’s council meeting. “In many ways I have issues with the Aboriginal part, because technically it is not a recognised genocide.”

Cr Walsh’s comments were labelled “disappointing” and “unbelievable” by Victorian Aboriginal Childcare Agency (VACCA) chief executive Muriel Bamblett.

“I think it’s just really disappointing, I think it’s a step backwards and I hope the people that elect people with these values and principles really think about it, and I think we should call for his resignation,” Ms Bamblett said.

“If he insists that his statement is correct and he stands by them then I think his deputy role and capacity to lead are in question……

Apparently Deputy-Mayor Walsh is of the school of thought which argues that if Australian colonial governments didn’t label their own official policies and actions as genocide at the time, then these cannot be called genocide now.

I’m sure it will come as no surprise to many that this insensitive man is a member of the Liberal Party, was previously electorate officer for Victorian Liberal MP Graham Watt and also employed as campaign manager for Liberal candidate Kyle Dadleh during the 2010 Victorian state election.

It seems those ‘bright young things’ in the Liberal Party just can’t help themselves when it comes to cultivating a social tin ear and historical myopia.