ubjects: Prime Minister's XI vs ATSIC XI.
E&OE................................
JOURNALIST:
Is this a great day for reconciliation?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh I think it's great. I think there are a lot of things that contribute towards the reconciliation process and this is one of them. It was a great idea of Geoff Clark's. I am very grateful to the cricketers of the standing of Steve Waugh and Jason Gillespie a very rigorous tour of India just behind them and a challenging tour of England ahead of them. They've been willing to come along and captain the two teams. I think that sets a great example and it's a tribute to both of them. And it's an opportunity for a lot of young indigenous cricketers to show us how good they are. And indigenous sportsmen and women have played a major role in so many sports, perhaps not as much in cricket as in others and that's a bit surprising. And this match will be one way of over time redressing that imbalance, if I can put it that way, and I am just so delighted to see people like 'Choc' Mundine and Nova Peris and Kyle Vander-Kuyp joining in it, I think that is great. And also Joe Hockey who's representing the Government.
JOURNALIST:
One of the messages that seems to be coming out of this is that people are bored with reconciliation being solely related to politics and .
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, I think without wishing to be in anyway controversial and you know that's not my bent, I do think these practical, human demonstrations that we all have so much in common and we all have so much to offer each other. Those things are really very important and the spirit that surrounded this has been wonderful, the cooperation of the ATSIC people, Geoff Clark and myself have worked together very closely and the willingness of the ACT Cricket Association, Gary Goodwin here worked day and night and the ground looks beautiful.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it's early minutes yet and it's always a bit challenging I suppose when you have a match like this a little out of the normal cycle but we wanted to have it now so that some of the players who have been in India could participate.
I think it's a great day.
[ends]