From day one, the selection of Professor Mick Dodson as Australian of the Year 2009 sparked controversy. His remarks about the observance of Australia Day, and his call for a rethink of the choice of 26 January as Australia's national day (as that date is seen by many Indigenous Australians as marking an invasion), are emblematic of his style, and indicative of what is in store for his tenure.
The Prime Minister's response was immediate and negative, but Dodson was not deterred. He reaffirmed that this should be a matter for discussion, and promised to engage the public in this and other topics — probably including the issue of compensation to members of the Stolen Generations, and changes to the Constitution to recognise the Indigenous people's prior sovereignty over the land that is now Australia.
Mick Dodson has an exceptional record of service and leadership as an advocate for human rights, especially for full rights of citizenship and genuine equality for Australia's Indigenous people. We can be confident that, like some earlier appointments, such as Fiona Stanley and Tim Flannery, he will not shrink from challenging government on policies and stances with which he takes issue.
It is commendable that the Government was willing to accord him the high profile this honour bestows in the current political climate, where there is great pressure for Indigenous people to change radically, in accordance with the dictates of neo-liberalism.
The responses of Tony Abbott and some Aboriginal leaders exemplify the fact that many now see the focus on rights as passé, and entrepreneurship and 'responsibility' as paramount — as though these are mutually exclusive categories.
On matters such as the Northern Territory Intervention, and the conversion of communal lands to freehold title to facilitate private home ownership, Mick Dodson has been a strong voice in favour of human rights, and of caution and scepticism in the face of pressure to abandon Aboriginal distinctiveness. While acknowledging the need for change, he has avoided the blame-the-victim tone of some Indigenous leaders.
Surprisingly, some observers seem disappointed that Professor Dodson is already a well known Australian. With characteristic humility, he himself spoke of his reluctance to accept the distinction, noting that many other Australians are more deserving — a reminder that many others toil in the same fields, unacknowledged.
Yet there is no doubt that Professor Dodson, with his intellect, knowledge, experience, equable temperament, and eloquence, will be an exceptional Australian of the