PM shifting ground on stolen generation apology From AAP 23aug99 12.10pm (AEST) A FORMAL apology to the stolen generation of Aboriginal children now appears likely, due to a change of heart by Prime Minister John Howard. Mr Howard had vetoed an apology because of concerns it could lead to legal action from Aborigines forcibly removed from their parents. But cabinet secretary, Senator Bill Heffernan, who has been working behind the scenes on the issue, told ABC radio he believed Mr Howard was now prepared to back some form of apology. "I think the Prime Minister has come a long way on this issue and certainly is keen to see a solution," he said. Instead of a Government apology, the motion is now likely to come from the parliament. Newly-elected Australian Democrats Senator Aden Ridgeway, the only indigenous member of Parliament, is expected to call this week for a conscience vote on the apology. Senator Ridgeway already has brokered a compromise with Mr Howard on the proposed preamble and Senator Heffernan said he was confident another compromise would remove the need for a conscience vote. "I would have thought that given the right, correct form of words that a conscience vote shouldn't be necessary because I would have thought that all Australians would support the right form of words to reflect what has gone on in the past," he said. Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said he was delighted by Senator Heffernan's move, but urged the Prime Minister not to bother with an apology unless he really meant it. "That's excellent, but at the end of the day an apology that's not meant is not an apology worth making," he said. "So I have said to the Prime Minister if you don't mean it and you don't feel it yourself don't make it, but let the parliament do it." The possible compromise has also run into early strife with the National Party, with MP Ian Causley warning a formal apology would divide the community and leave the Government open to compensation claims. "You can never trust lawyers," he said. "Lawyers jump in on anything these days and that's the real problem and they'll be in to try and get some money out of it for themselves mainly." ------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/
