Wrestling with a dilemma

Abstract

Recently, I was perturbed to hear that a former Chair of the ASA, Anita Heiss, along with a number of other Indigenous Australians, had had her ethnicity questioned by the journalist Andrew Bolt. Anyone who knows Anita is well aware that she is a proud Wiradjuri woman. Bolt's accusations offended her and, along with others he had also offended (the majority of whom were not writers), she took action against him in court under the Racial Discrimination Act. In September 2011, Anita and her co-defendants were vindicated when Bolt was found guilty of racial discrimination. This was a significant victory for Anita and the other co-defendants. Anita felt that the ASA should recognise the matter as a victory for authors. While many members of the ASA will feel sympathy for Anita's victory, as I do, ASA management (the Board and Executive Director) were not of the view that this was a victory for authors. Why?