FED: Tent meeting ends with a kiss

AAP General News (Australia)
02-18-1999
FED: Tent meeting ends with a kiss

CANBERRA, Feb 18 AAP - Reconciliation Minister Philip Ruddock today held unscheduled talks
with Aboriginal tent embassy protesters, ending the meeting with a kiss on the cheek for
embassy stalwart Isabelle Coe.

Mr Ruddock and Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan turned up at the embassy site in front of Old
Parliament House about 8.15am.

A spokesman for Mr Ruddock said the meeting lasted about 20 minutes and finished just as
media crews started arriving.

"It was just an opportunity to show some goodwill," Mr Ruddock's spokesman said.

Embassy demonstrators have clashed with police over the past two weeks after moving their
protest to the front of the New Parliament House following government moves to invoke a
68-year-old rule to take action against the heritage-listed tent embassy.

Aboriginal protesters yesterday smeared the Australian flag with ashes and stabbed it with
a spear in the remains of the ceremonial fire extinguished by police during violent scuffles
outside New Parliament House on Monday.

The protest group had been demanding meetings with Prime Minister John Howard and Mr
Ruddock.

Mr Ruddock was supposed to meet the protesters on Monday but called it off because he did
not want the media involved.

The minister's spokesman said Mr Ruddock told the group today his door was always open and
that he firmly believed in the reconciliation process.

Ms Coe said it was important to open up communication lines with the government.

"We see this as first step in the peace process," she told ABC radio.

The government has come under fire over its handling of the tent embassy situation.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) chairman Gatjil Djerrkura said
today controversy surrounding the protests was a product of the government's approach to
dealing with indigenous Australians.

"Its approach in all its dealings with our people has been ham-fisted and muddle-headed,"
Mr Djerrkura said in an article for the Herald-Sun newspaper.

"It ought to stop and listen to informed Australians, including a growing number of its own
party members."

Mr Djerrkura said ATSIC shared in the ideals of the tent embassy protesters, although he
acknowledged many of those who occupy the embassy "sit at the other end of the spectrum of
political opinions in our community".

AAP sc/mfh/it

KEYWORD: TENT RUDDOCK

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