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I've just had a very good meeting with the Council. It was
the first chance I've had to meet them. And I repeated what
I'd said on election night and I repeated the Government's
commitment to achieving, if it could, the positive outcome for the
reconciliation process by the time of the Centenary of Federation.
I stressed that it was important that expectations be realistic.
I outlined, in very general terms, some of the things that we had
in mind and I thought it was a useful meeting. And we've agreed
to work together on a reconciliation document. You may remember
that during the election campaign I said that I supported the putting
together of a document. I certainly don't see it as a treaty.
I think I've made that clear before and that is understood.
But there is no reason in my mind that we cannot put together a
document which records a number of things and expresses the desire
of Australians, right across the community, to not only enjoy but
to build upon the process of reconciliation. It won't be easy
but there is goodwill on the part of the Government, there is goodwill
in the community and I know that the leadership of the indigenous
people of Australia would want to achieve that outcome. The Council
is a bipartisan body and it brings together a lot of very thoughtful
people who have a genuine commitment to the process. And I'm
cautiously optimistic I don't want to put it any more
strongly than that that we can achieve a positive outcome.
And I certainly intend, with Mr Ruddock having the special responsibility,
I certainly intend to work very hard to achieve that outcome.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, you said that there was some general things that
you outlined. Are you able to tell us more about that?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think any document of this kind must have, as a starting
point, that we are all Australians together, the indivisibility
of the Australian nation. It must be a document that acknowledges
the historical truths of this country, the prior occupation of it
by the indigenous people. It must acknowledge injustices. It must
deal with current disadvantage. But it must focus also on the need
to have practical outcomes to improve the position of indigenous
Australians. It ought to be a document that inspirational as well
as aspirational. Now, that's perhaps a fairly demanding menu
but I'm optimistic that it can be achieved. But it's very
important that people have realistic expectations.
JOURNALIST:
Did the Council express a view to you as to whether the document
should contain an apology?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh, we haven't got into that.
JOURNALIST:
You said that it's not going to be a simple process or it's
going to be difficult, what aspects make it difficult?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think the whole history of this issue.
JOURNALIST:
Is the timing, the timeframe?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I don't think it's the timeframe. But if people approach
it with, what I might say, goodwill and realism then we may be able
to achieve a positive outcome.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, are you confident that relations will be more harmonious
during your second term than they were in your first term?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think they were harmonious with a lot of people in the
communities. There were some disagreements on particular issues
but this is a two-way process. There's goodwill on the part
of the Government and I expect goodwill in return from the rest
of the community on this issue and I'm hopeful that that can
be the case.
JOURNALIST:
Do you want this document ready for the Centenary of Federation...?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, that would be the appropriate time. You've got to remember
that the Council itself has been charged by the Parliament with
reporting on whether a document is feasible or not.
JOURNALIST:
Could the document feed in as some sort of preamble to the Constitution?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh look, that's a separate issue and I think we've got
to keep those two things separate because unless the people vote
at the end of next year to change the Constitution there won't
be any new preamble.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, your Treasurer said this morning that the Government
would be accepting the major recommendations of the Vos Report.
When we see the legislation on Wednesday, how many changes will
there be contained in that bill from what you've already flagged?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'm sorry, I don't quite understand the import of that
question.
JOURNALIST:
Well, Cabinet has had to fine-tune the tax package as adopted by...
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yes, I always said it would.
JOURNALIST:
How wide-ranging will those changes be?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, there'll be some fine-tuning. I always said that. But
there won't be any alteration in the basic thrust.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, you said that banks will have to increase competition
before there'll be any big mergers between the big four. What
do you think about the idea that local councils now want to start
their own banks...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I'm in favour of thousands of flowers blooming everywhere,
whether it be in banks or anything else. But there isn't enough
competition as yet, certainly in some of the important small business
areas, and that is why the current stance is going to continue.
JOURNALIST:
So there's no immediate mergers.
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no, that's been made very clear. I made that clear when
I spoke to the National Farmers' Federation but to my amazement
some news outlets chose to interpret those remarks in completely
the opposite way. What Mr Costello said this morning was on all
fours with what I had said to the National Farmers' Federation
a few days ago.
Thank you
[Ends]