160 years on, apology for a racist tax on Chinese in Australia
Government of Victoria state says a belated sorry to immigrants of the mid-19th century
The Chinese community in Australia has applauded an apology by the government of Victoria for a racist tax levied on immigrants more than a century ago, calling it a step towards eliminating the discrimination that continues to this day.
State Premier Daniel Andrews issued the apology on the steps of the Parliament of Victoria on Thursday after meeting Chinese community leaders.
“It is never too late to say sorry,” Andrews said, according to a video posted on the Weibo account of Australian television network SBS.
“To every Chinese Victorian, on behalf of the Victorian Parliament, on behalf of the Victorian government, I express our deepest sorrow and I say to you, we are profoundly sorry.”
The taxation policy dates to the middle of the 19th century when a steady stream of Chinese, many from Guangdong province, arrived to work in the goldfields of New South Wales and Victoria.