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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 8 Hansard (26 August) . . Page.. 2481 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

the other key issues identified by the council. Yet, despite the apparent commitment of the nation in 1991 to move towards reconciliation, there are signs that the process has stalled.

I was saddened to read the view of Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Chairman of the Northern Land Council, in the Australian newspaper last week. He argued in that article that there has been a "radical view" of Aboriginal policy which has been ascendant in Australia for the past three years. Galarrwuy Yunupingu argues that this radical policy suggests that Aboriginal people taken from their families were in fact rescued, not stolen. It questions the outcome of 25 years of land rights and the value of reconciliation.

Mr Speaker, it is impossible, regrettably, to disagree with the view of this distinguished Australian, especially as we witness, for example, the attempts to dismantle the Aboriginal Embassy and the continuing refusal of the Prime Minister to include an acknowledgment in the preamble to the Constitution of the original occupancy and custodianship of this land, and, I have to say, his shameful and tawdry agonising over whether or not to say "sorry".

There are times in the history of nations when communities have the opportunity to do great things. Australians have two such opportunities before them at the moment - the chance to become a republic, to tell the world that we are quite capable of standing for ourselves, and the chance to commit to a genuine reconciliation with those who originally occupied the land. The two opportunities are linked, in my view, and the achievement of one will be lessened if the other fails.

Today's debate can go a good way towards getting the process back on track. It reflects the fact that the council has continued its important work without being deflected by any turn in the national policy debate. There is a draft document of reconciliation on the table, and this motion endorses the consultative process that is necessary to carry the argument. As my Federal counterpart, Kim Beazley, said in a debate on a similar motion before the House of Representatives in June, the draft declaration shows that "there remain people with patience, dignity and quiet hope who continue to push the process of reconciliation forward". We have the opportunity to do our small part today by supporting this motion, and I expect that every member will, but I do want to go a little further than the words that are before us, important though they are.

I want to make two suggestions which I think might be considered for some action that will reinforce the commitment of this Assembly and community to the reconciliation process. We are conducting today's debate on Ngunnawal land, a fact we often acknowledge, but I think we could do more to acknowledge the original occupiers of this land in a very simple way. There are numerous natural landmarks around Canberra and the region and many of them are sign-posted in English. My suggestion in relation to this, which I would like to see discussed and further considered, is for joint signage in English and in the language of the Ngunnawal of these natural features and places of significance.

Mr Speaker, there has also been some debate, in public and in this Assembly, about the participation of indigenous people in public life and in the decision-making processes of government. The recent report of the select committee on the governance of the ACT

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