THERE’S ONLY ONE RECONCILIATION DOCUMENT – THE COUNCIL’S

Chairperson Evelyn Scott today clarified that there is only one set of reconciliation documents in the public arena – the Council’s.

"It seems that there is some confusion that there are somehow two documents up for public debate: the Council’s and the Prime Minister’s," she said.

"As I understand it, the Prime Minister supports a great deal of the Council’s Australian Declaration Towards Reconciliation, but he has also detailed areas where he cannot fully support it. In issuing a version of the Declaration that he and his government would have supported, the Prime Minister was simply putting his own position on the record. However, I don’t believe that he intended this to be taken as an alternative for public debate," she said.

The Council released its long-awaited reconciliation documents this week, consisting of two documents: the Australian Declaration Towards Reconciliation and a Roadmap for Reconciliation. "These final proposals from the Council come after almost a year of widespread public consultations and debate, and reflect the input of many thousands of people," Ms Scott said. "It’s now over to the Australian people to decide their attitude towards these and, the Council hopes, to make commitments to the principles and actions they contain."

Ms Scott said that the Prime Minister was one of many who had been consulted, and that the Council had taken account of his and all other views in preparing its final proposals. "However, the Prime Minister urged the Council to decide what it thought was right, and recognised that the final decision on these documents was ours," she said.

Note for media: People wishing to get copies of the Council’s documents can access them via the Council’s website, www.reconciliation.org.au, or order print copies through the toll-free number 1800 807 071. Media wanting instant hard copy can phone one of the numbers below for a faxed copy.

CANBERRA 12 MAY 2000