Reconciliation has been cast into the spotlight as one of the critical issues to be addressed by the second Howard Government. The appointment of the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Phillip Ruddock, as Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation and with a seat in Cabinet, is a major elevation of the issue.

The failure of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs to design and implement programs to assist Aboriginal people is identified by Ms Scott as a clear problem. "I believe that there is enough money (for Aboriginal programs), but without question the resistance (to improved services and development) is in the bureaucracy." Regarding wastage that has occurred in such programs, Ms Scott was determined to improve the quality of the services at the same funding levels. "My conscience was ... this was tax payers’ money," she said.

Ms Scott, however, looks forward to working with Phillip Ruddock. Working with him in her position on the National Multicultural Advisory Council, Scott openly praises his achievements. "I believe that his appointment as Minister assisting the Prime Minister is important, and what he has done with [the Government’s policy on] multiculturalism, he will also do with reconciliation.

Ultimately reconciliation will succeed or fail on the issues of education and a treaty or documents, depending on the term used. "I believe that the Government wants ... documents of reconciliation, although the Prime Minister doesn’t want to call it a treaty," she says. Its contents, these are subject to negotiations with Government and regional forums of Aboriginal people. But there are clearly some inclusions that are vital. "The document would have to state that the indigenous people are the original inhabitants of the country and so on, but from that all the other issues of health, housing, and disadvantages would need to be addressed," she explains.

The issues that most concern her reflect her previous hands-on experience with the establishment of the Aboriginal legal services, housing societies and medical services in Queensland. Health issues include diseases such as diabetes, as well as social and cultural issues including deaths in custody, and the disadvantages that are still inherent in limiting the scope of Aboriginal people in education and employment, must all be addressed by the process, and in the documents.

When asked about the ‘official apology’ demanded by many activists, Ms Scott said, "The Prime Minister has apologised personally," but as to a wider apology, "if it is not sincere, then let’s move on.

"My preference would be to address the issues, and stop people dying. I don’t want there to be another generation like us. So let us deal with the issues that will help us survive into another generation. I guess we can work our way around the apology. Certain people are saying that it is not negotiable, that there must be an apology. But in the meantime, what do we do about our younger generation?"

And the younger generation of non-Aboriginal Australians are also of concern. It is important, Ms Scott says, that education throughout Australia be commensurate with ensuring that Australia’s youth are taught history as it pertains to all of this nation’s peoples. "Shouldn’t our younger generation be taught about the collective histories of our communities." Without such an education, Scott does not believe there can be a true and lasting reconciliation, irrespective of documents and apologies.

But the advancements of Aboriginal people into Australian politics, such as the election of new NSW Democrat Senator Aden Ridgeway, bode well for public representation of Australia’s indigenous people. Like Ms Scott, Senator-elect Ridgeway is reported to want a summit of Aboriginal leaders to debate the documents of reconciliation, then push for their finalisation and signature by May 2000. These documents will hopefully provide the map for achieving a lasting reconciliation and warm relationship of respect between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in Australia.