Antinuclear

Mr Mansell is a finalist in the Senior Australian of the Year award for his dedication to “social, political and legal reform to improve the lives of Tasmanian Indigenous People”.

But he said he could not in good conscience accept it or the Tasmanian nomination because it is a key part of the Australia Day celebrations, which is a race-based day that “marks the coming to Australia of whites”.

“I think it’s important that when something isn’t right, that people speak up about it,” he told Fairfax Media.

He said other countries such as the United States and New Zealand would not have national days that coincided with the day settlers invaded the land of indigenous peoples.

“There is a growing movement of people who believe that celebrating on January 26 is the wrong date because it is a race-based celebration and that is not appropriate,” he said. “It is one thing to acknowledge the fact of invasion; it is quite another to celebrate it.”……

“There may come a time when it is legitimate for Aborigines to accept these nominations: when a treaty has been made between Aborigines and Australia to include land, an Aboriginal Assembly and 8 seats in the 150 strong Federal Parliament.”

He said until such time “while I am grateful for the thoughts behind my nomination, I would be a hypocrite to accept it”.  http://www.smh.com.au/national/aboriginal-activist-refuses-australia-day-award-20131027-2w98h.html#ixzz2j4ZRRXr3