Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "Update: 'Reconciliation' Proposal" [1991] AboriginalLawB 1; (1991) 1(48) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 2

• ‘Reconciliation’ Proposal

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‘Reconciliation’ Proposal

On December 13, 1990, the Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Robert Tickner, and Prime Minister Bob Hawke made a joint statement regarding a proposal for a "process of reconciliation" between Aboriginals and Australians.

The proposal involves the establishment of a council which would play an "educative and leadership role in bringing about a deeper understanding of the history, culture, past dispossession and continuing disadvantage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people".

The Federal Government proposes to establish the council by an Act of parliament in Autumn 1991. The council which would exist until January 2001, will consist of about 25 councillors with half being Aboriginal and half being non-Aboriginal. Members will include the Minister for Aboriginal affairs together with the Liberal / National party and Australian Democrat spokespersons, the ATSIC chairperson and deputy chairperson, church, business, trade union and other community leaders. There will be consultation with the Government, opposition political parties and Aboriginal people in relation to the appointment of councillors. There will also be widespread consultation to ascertain views on how `reconciliation' should be carried out. ATSIC would have a central role to play in the reconciliation strategy in that it would be the principle vehicle for communication between the Council and Aboriginal people.

A `document' which will be called an "instrument of reconciliation", may result from the "process of reconciliation", however, the committee will only have the power to recommend its formulations to the Government.

The joint statement at no time mentioned any possible acknowledgement of Aboriginal sovereignty and stated that the Federal Opposition still had doubts over the need for a document to result from the process.

The statement initiated the first tangible action to implement anything resembling the "treaty" which was promised by Prime Minister Bob Hawke at Barunga in 1988. It remains to be seen whether a "process of reconciliation" can address the real issues involved in Aboriginal self -determination and whether it can provide a solution which adequately addresses the needs of both parties involved.