[vacri]

It's just Americans thinking they're being funny about Australia, which is ironic given their modern-day extremely high levels of incarceration. Even the 'penal colonies' weren't just penal colonies - there were a hell of a lot of free settlers as well. Then the gold rushes hit and that's when things really took off.

Besides, in the same period we were a 'penal colony', the Americans were 'slavers' - so much for not casting the first stone...

[dhughes]

You're assuming I'm in the USA.

I didn't write, imply or say at all that every person from day one until now was a prisoner obviously not but I figured the subject would be viewed differently in Australia.

[vacri]

I am assuming that you're from the USA, since most comments like that come from Americans, and it's supported by the point you highlighted that comment but didn't deny it.

Besides, I didn't say that all americans were slavers. That's not the point I'm making. Your 'considering Australia's history' comment isn't "viewed differently in Australia", it's just flat-out wrong. It's servicing a bigoted stereotype ("people from X are Y, dontcha know") rather than reflecting history.

In any case, Australia was federated on Jan 1 1901 - that's when the constitution describing this came into play - a full half-century after the end of the penal colony years, in itself a period of immense immigration. Considering this history, why is it odd that people convicted of a lengthy sentence be barred from holding high office?

[dhughes]

I'm Canadian.

I guess we're both guilty of being ignorant of distant lands.

[vacri]

Meh, justify it that way if you need to - I was making an assumption based on observed behaviour, you were working from an inaccurate sterotype from 200 years ago.

[dhughes]

You were too.