Australia Day Pt 1: Anthony Dillon

Anthony Dillon is a powerful voice for Australia's forgotten indigenous people, those without the privileged platform occupied by the educated, urban elite. In this Watercooler conversation with Nick Cater, he argues that ill-founded attacks on Australia are holding us back from true reconciliation.

Rather than focus on our differences, our goal must be to rediscover the common core of humanity that all Australians share.

This is the first of a two-part Watercooler conversation to mark Australia Day 2022.

Nick Cater is Executive Director of the Menzies Research Centre.

Email Nick at watercooler@menziesrc.org

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Anthony Dillon is an academic and Indigenous commentator who is not afraid to take issue with the current popular ideologies which portray Indigenous people merely as victims of white Australia and history (the invasion).

His experience in the area of Indigenous Health and well being has demonstrated that these dogmatically held beliefs are killing more indigenous people than cigarettes.

He strongly believe that the only way we will “Close the Gap” between Indigenous Australians and the rest of the population is by ensuring that Indigenous people have access to the opportunities that most Australians take for granted. To achieve this requires us all to focus on the commonalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and abandon the myth that Indigenous Australians are deeply culturally different from other Australians.

He believes it is extremely important that there is an open dialogue on the issues which have remained hidden under a veil of silence for too long, such as violence and substance abuse.

He is regularly quoted in the popular media as a commentator on Indigenous affairs as my point of view is logical, academically sound and not constrained by preconceived notions of victimhood, or limited by political correctness.

Anthony's linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-dillon-3065a816/?originalSubdomain=au