Fed: Ridgeway urges Herron to admit blunder

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2000
Fed: Ridgeway urges Herron to admit blunder

By Rod McGuirk

CANBERRA, April 4 AAP - The federal government could still salvage the reconciliation
process by admitting it had blundered over the stolen generation, Aboriginal Australian
Democrats Senator Aden Ridgeway said today.

After returning Aboriginal actor Justine Saunders' Order of Australia Medal (OAM) to
Government House, Senator Ridgeway said she would be prepared to take it back if the government
corrected Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Herron's denial that there had been a stolen
generation.

Senator Ridgeway told journalists Senator Herron's comments and the fact that the government
had not retreated from them did cause offence.

"It has insulted indigenous people right across the board and I think that those things
need to be acknowledged.

"It is quite easy for the government to undo this, to acknowledge that either they've
been deceptive in the way that they've done things or alternatively if it's a blunder,
it's not hard for Senator Herron to come out and say 'I made a mistake' and fix the problem."

Senator Ridgeway, whose father was a member of the stolen generation, said he was aware
that others were considering returning OAMs in protest.

ATSIC commissioner and elder activist Charles Perkins remained determined to hand back
his OAM next week.

"I just have no faith in this prime minister. I don't trust him," Mr Perkins said.

"He's the worst prime minister we've ever had; Pauline Hanson in disguise."

Senator Ridgeway struck a compromise with the government last year when the parliament
supported his motion expressing deep and sincere regret for injustices suffered by indigenous
people.

The government's latest position on the stolen generation was inconsistent with that
motion towards reconciliation, he said.

"You can't make a commitment about acknowledging past injustices and mistreatment and
acknowledging that these things happened and six months later then turn around and say
there's no such thing as a stolen generation," Senator Ridgeway.

Senator Ridgeway delivered Ms Saunders' medal to an Australian Protective Services
guard at the gate of Yarralumla.

The senator would not criticise the governor-general for not accepting the medal personally,
saying there was no protocol for such an occasion.

"She wanted it essentially to be held in trust until a day arrived when the governor-general
or the government might see fit to return it to her," he said.

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley had urged Ms Saunders and Mr Perkins not to return their
medals, saying they were not awarded by the prime minister.

"One man's political opportunism should not be allowed to deprive such people of a
lifetime recognition," Mr Beazley said.

AAP rmg/ss/arb/bwl

KEYWORD: STOLEN MEDALS NIGHTLEAD

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