He’s had plenty of time to do this, but to suddenly decide to finally stop ignoring the sentiment of the majority of the country on this issue in the immediate lead up to an election just seems pathetic and fumblingly manipulative (especially when you’ve just annexed and arguably disenfranchised many of the Aboriginals in the northern territory).
I understand the concern that a poorly articulated apology might be interpreted by some as an admission of government guilt or complicity, and may lead to greater activity in the areas of aboriginal land rights and compensation litigation, but it is possible to (a) grow a set and accept that perhaps that wouldn’t be the worst thing, and (b) have taken some peremptory steps in that direction before trying to use it to leverage an election.
“I’m (personally) sorry that these injustices have happened to your people” neither implies guilt or responsibility, nor obliges any action, but does show that you appreciate that certain unfairnesses occurred, and that you may be agreeable to looking at ways of rectifying things. And if John had said something like that when Peter Garret and Midnight Oil wore their “Sorry” suit at the 2000 Olympics (as most of the younger generation of Australians apparently feel he should have) then perhaps I wouldn’t think that talk of recognising Aboriginals in a constitutional amendment so suspect.