Aevum InterventuBoard

Is Black Alright?
_{North Australia to pass Aboriginal and Kanaka Reforms... Maybe?}
^{July 1882 (16 February)}

With an election coming up next November, North Australian Premier Samuel Griffith has announced radical reforms to race relations across the colony, especially towards Aboriginals and Kanakas. His proposed reforms include an improvement of the quality of life and the end of physical racial abuse, and have so far been accepted warmly by many members of the colony.

The reform will see the North Australian government put an end to 'unnecessary' killings of Aboriginals, and reserve violent conflicts for cases of murder and theft. This would mean that opportunity killings would be put to an end, along with government programs aimed at killing Aboriginal Australians. Settlers would still be allowed to engage in conflict if a Settler has been killed by an Aboriginal, or if an Aboriginal steals crops or livestock. This proposed reform has created some controversy, as many opportunity killings have led to the land being able to be cultivated for agriculture or settlement. The Native Police and Black Trackers will still be used, with their powers and roles unchanged. There will also be no major changes to policies of removing Aboriginals from settled districts or soon-to-be-settled districts, and accidental killings will remain forgiven.

"Hunting an Aborigin[al] is not a sport," the Premier said, "and it should be avoided where possible. However, if there is no other way to stop them killing Europeans, or stealing the livestock or land of a European, then so be it."

Griffith has also proposed the idea of gathering Aboriginals together for 'Aboriginal Reserves' where they will be taught the ways of the British Empire including her values and her language. Griffith has assured that however this reform turns out, it will not affect current laws that prohibit Aboriginals from entering European Settlements. Instead, it would see a creation of their own and some new mixed settlements for the express purposes of 'civilising' them.

Another reform comes in the way of the Kanakas, South Sea Islanders who have been taken to work on the sugar cane farms. Amongst allegations of kidnapping, torture, abuse, and slavery, Griffith has promised that, if elected, the practice would cease. South Sea Islanders would be allowed to stay in the country, but must be payed proper wages. Routine checks on sugar cane farms would ensure the workers are not being abused and are in good health.

The proposed reforms, as mentioned before, have been recieved warmly. This is especially true in the larger settlements, such as in Brisbane, Ipswich, and Rockhampton. However, rural and growing parts of the country have taken issue with the reforms. Aboriginal reforms have been criticised as 'a lot of words to say nothing,' with many finding the policy confusing and hard to police. It is suspected that even if the policy was carried through, North Australia would either be forced to fill the courts with allegations of massacres or turn a blind eye. Kanaka reforms have also been controversial, with many sugar cane farmers saying the Kanaka workforce is so vital to the functioning of the farms and that the farms are so vital to the success of the colony that banning the practice would create an economic disaster for North Australia.

So will it work? Will Sam have to change his mind? Or will he not even be re elected? Who knows