Fed: Reconciliation not dead: Howard = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2000
Fed: Reconciliation not dead: Howard = 2

Mr Howard said his dinner with the ATSIC board on Tuesday indicated the health of the
reconciliation process.

"We didn't agree on everything, but it was the first time I think that a prime minster
of any political colour had entertained the entire ATSIC board and talked for three hours
about a whole range of issues," he said.

"I thought all of us benefited greatly. There were things I learned that I didn't know before.

"There were things about the government's attitude and my motives and our motives that
members of the ATSIC board learned that they didn't know before.

"I learned that there's a fair amount of common ground on quite a number of issues."

But Mr Howard acknowledged reconciliation is still a long way off.

"I don't want to underestimate the difficulties, it's silly to do that," he said.

"I recognise that as a group within our community, Aborigines are still the most disadvantaged.

"I recognise that there is a spiritual dimension to the concept of reconciliation as well.

"But there are certain things I am not going to falsely accept if I don't believe them.

"That's insulting the intelligence of Aboriginal Australia, and its also not something
that the community wants me to do," he said.

AAP jb/rmg/jtb/br

KEYWORD: RECONCILE HOWARD 2 CANBERRA

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