Aborigine nears win in Australia's House of Reps

[cory777]

Source: Associated Press

SYDNEY – An Aboriginal man appeared set for victory Monday in his quest to become the first indigenous person to win a seat in Australia's House of Representatives.

Ken Wyatt of the conservative Liberal Party held a thin lead in the Western Australia seat of Hasluck with 93 percent of the votes counted, with his rival Sharryn Jackson from the center-right Labor Party unlikely to catch up.

Australia has elected only two other Aborigines to federal Parliament, both in the Senate. Neville Bonner served in the Senate from 1971 to 1983, and Aden Ridgeway served from 1999 to 2005.

"In 50 years' time, historians and people will be analyzing why Hasluck chose an indigenous candidate — and what they'll discover is that they didn't choose an indigenous candidate because I was indigenous," Wyatt told reporters in Perth on Sunday. "They chose a person who they believe would represent the interests of everybody within Hasluck."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100830/ap_on_re_as/as_australia_election

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[Swagman]

1. wrong party but good luck to him

[depakid]

4. Mr. Wyatt might have learned something from an African American politician's father

Who said to and about his son, JC Watts:

"A Black man voting for the Republicans makes about as much sense as a chicken voting for Col. Sanders."

-and sure enough:

Aboriginal MP 'disappointed' by slurs

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/aboriginal-mp-disappointed-by-slurs-20100829-13xn0.html

On the other hand, he did win a seat in the same year that Wilson Tuckey (Australia's version of Strom Thurmond Jesse Helms) finally got the boot.

[Violet_Crumble]

2. Wrong party. I'd be incredibly happy if he lost Hasluck...

Though the article got it spot on in describing the ALP as a centre-right party.

[conspirator]

3. He will be the australian condoleeza rice n/t

[mimitabby]

5. he looks white

that gives you a clue as to how racist they are down under. A man with mixed heritage who looks white is called an aborigine and harassed with racial slurs...