There's a big difference between saying sorry and actually doing something about it.

Yesterday, former federal indigenous affairs minister Mal Brough accused prime minister Kevin Rudd of being “un-Australian”for not acting quickly enough to tackle child abuse in Aboriginal communities.

“If we want to talk about Sorry Day, how can it be that we can uncover 141 children who’ve been sexually abused out of 1000 ... and nothing has happened?” he told the ABC.

“If they were white children, heaven and earth would have been moved to do something about that and I think it is un-Australian and unconscionable that we be patient.”

Mr Brough made the comparison between what a father would do if he found out his son or daughter was being abused, in comparison to the bureaucratic and delayed response of the current government.

It’s an issue not just for Aboriginal communities, of course, but right here on the Sunshine Coast.

As a community, what are we doing to protect our most vulnerable from sick individuals who prey on them for their own twisted gratification?

Listening to Mal Brough yesterday, you could only share the sense of anger he obviously does that more decisive action is not being taken, especially after such a song and dance was made about helping indigenous Australians when Mr Rudd made his historic – and long overdue – apology to the stolen generation.

The former Member for Longman, based at Caboolture, was almost as equally dismayed at claims that he has a conflict of interest because he has businesses trying to help out Aborigines in remote communities.

As he pointed out, he has no plans to profit from those enterprises and, at present, he is personally spending a small fortune trying to carry out programs the federal government should be leading the charge on.

Mr Brough was snubbed when Mr Rudd was putting together his joint policy commission to tackle Aboriginal issues. And the decision to leave him out sparked a major row between the government and the opposition.

But, last week, Aboriginal leaders in outback South Australia called on the former minister to help them.

Members of Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands Council asked Mr Brough to visit the lands and help advise on a Northern Territory-style intervention to help their communities.

Mr Brough vowed to go to APY Lands because of government inaction in dealing with violence and child sex abuse.

He claimed the Rudd government appeared more interested in symbolism than dealing with the problems.

He told a business function on the Gold Coast there had been no action on the ground since the Mullighan inquiry in SA found widespread child sexual abuse on the lands.

“It’s a disgrace, quite frankly, that they can’t turn to the ministers of the day and the prime minister and the premier of the day to do that because they’re simply not listening to them,” Mr Brough said.

“These are Australian children that are dying. These are Australian children that are being raped. These are Australian children that actually deserve a future.
That is why you’re put into government.

“Symbolism is fine but it’s not going to protect a child from that sort of pain.”

To be fair, Kevin Rudd acknowledged there are major problems. But he, and indeed the SA government, clearly has a different way about tackling it than the let’s-get-in-there-boots-and-all approach of Mal Brough.

Mr Rudd says the government needs to build on the goodwill opened up by the apology made to the Stolen Generations this year.

He and indigenous affairs minister Jenny Macklin yesterday unveiled an artwork of the apology motion in Canberra today to mark the 10th anniversary of National Sorry Day.

But as Mr Rudd well knows, we need far more than artworks and photo opportunities if we are truly to tackle the child abuse crises that are well evident in remote Aboriginal communities.

Those chocolate drives ...
With less than a month to go in the 20-20 weight-loss challenge, I could be making a bigger donation towards a children’s orphanage and hospital in India than I thought.

As regular readers will remember, after being dobbed in by fellow columnist Ashley Robinson, I agreed to the challenge of losing 20 kilos.

The catch is that for every kilo I do not lose, I’m up for a $100 donation.

In recent times, circumstances have been stacked against me. After taking over as acting editor in chief for the Daily last month, I am saddened to say my gym routine has stopped.

And, with my daughter bringing home chocolates to sell for a school fundraiser, so has my strict eating regime.

While the stress of the new job took off a couple of kilos, the night-time snacks have put them back on again.

So I am facing a race against time.

If you’re keen to sponsor me, drop me a line at <a href="mailto:mark.furler@scnews.com.au"> mark.furler@scnews.com.au . It shouldn’t cost you as much as it is going to cost me!