Greatest invasion ever!
Turnbull says we invaded Australia- Abbott said we occupied.
If it was an invasion then the 245 marines that accompanied Phillip would have been the greatest force multiplier ever assembled. Statistically greater than the D Day force at Normanby or Ghengis Khan’s mob that overrun Europe.
7.7million square kilometers, hundreds of thousands of locals and 245 Marines sorted them out.
Not only did they do this but they did it with Phillip stating Rules of Engagement that ordered them to treat the Aboriginals kindly and to establish harmonious relations with them.
Abbott is right and the Invasion mob should stop playing around with the English language.
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How about “occupation”, Kev?
They dd, after all, turn up uninvited.
They did, after all, wipe out a complete race of people (the Tasmanian Palawa). I won’t call that “genocide” for fear of playing around with the English language, but would invite you to come up with a more accurate term for the fate of the Palawa..
They did, after all, use superior force and technology to appropriate land around Port Jackson initially, and eventually the whole continent.
They did, after all, introduce a range of diseases which (also over time) decimated whole tribal groups.
They did, after all, retaliate with deadly force when any of their cattle or sheep were killed and eaten.
They did, after all, contribute to the loss of over 250 distinct Aboriginal languages.
They did, after all, “convert” many Aborigines and shanghai them into camps they called “missions”.
They did force this alien set of religious practices on these people, much in the same way as militant Islam expects all living in their territory to convert to the faith.
They did separate children from parents, segregate them in the missions, and employ them as slave labour when they were old enough to work.
They did remove completely disparate tribal groups from their country and force them to live in consolidated camps (Cherbourg, Camooweal and Palm Island in Queensland for example) destroying tribal relationships that had endured for tens of thousands of years, and creating conflict situations that endure to this day in places such as Aurukun.
No, we can’t call it an “invasion” for fear of offending delicate sensibilities.
Perhaps “occupation” (you know, the term used to describe what the Nazis did in much of Europe in WW2?)
But then again, perhaps not. That may offend surviving ex-Nazis.