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Good evening. There was an angry confrontation today between the most senior Aboriginal public
servant in Australia and the leader of the Federal Opposition.
Charles Perkins and John Howard are at loggerheads over the issue of an Aboriginal treaty.
The seven days set aside for national recognition of Aborigines kicked off in Perth today,
amid continuing controversy over the Prime Minister's suggestion that white and black
Australia should sign some sort of agreement for the bicentenary.
The Federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Gerry Hand, used even vaguer terminology to describe
it today, calling it a form of understanding, although he later promised there would soon
be some much needed clarification.
I would think it will be reasonably quick. I don't think you'll have all that much longer
to wait.
But in Adelaide, Mr Hand's departmental head, Charles Perkins, again urged the government
to adopt a treaty, something which has led him into a public confrontation with opposition
leader John Howard, who says Mr Perkins is breaching his duties as a public servant.
A public servant should not become publicly embroiled. We're going to have a debate on
the budget between Bernie Fraser and Paul Keating? That'll be a great spectacle.
Well Mr Howard is an irrelevant politician in Australia today. He's only there at the
convenience of others for a short time.
Mr Perkins also accused Mr Howard of being influenced by racist elements in the coalition
parties.
And they control and dictate the policy of that party, and that's unfortunate.
Another senior Aboriginal leader, Mr Galeroy Unapingu, who's the chairman of the Northern
Land Council, today warned that while a treaty was a good idea, it could take another 200
years to negotiate. Mr Unapingu said the government had to educate the general community on the
need for such a special agreement.
The federal government and conservationists have welcomed today's decision by the federal
court clearing the way for nomination of stage two of Kakadu National Park for World Heritage
Listing. A full bench of the court in Sydney upheld an appeal by the government against
a ruling last December that a cabinet decision to seek World Heritage Listing was void.
Mr Justice Beaumont said the mining company Pico Wolzend had been denied natural justice
because cabinet had not heard its objections to the move.
Today a full bench set aside Justice Beaumont's ruling, saying decisions by cabinet were not
open to review by the court.
The ACTU President, Simon Crean, today called on the federal government to support an across-the-board
seven dollars national wage rise from October. In his opening address to the ACTU Congress
being held in Melbourne, Mr Crean said the government must honour its promise to support
a further first tier wage rise in the October wage case.
ACTU President Simon Crean said this Congress was crucial for unity and potentially historic
in enabling the industrial and political wings of labour to combine to cement labour as the
natural government of Australia. And then came the quid pro quo. He effectively told
the government it had to address the unions agenda of price restraint, investment, tax
reform and wages.
The government must honour its commitment to us to support the second first tier increase
from October.
Massive innovation, massive change was the theme taken up by Bill Kelty, his future strategies
document and his proposals for fewer, bigger, more efficient unions. He told the Congress
that if unions did not unionise more sections of the workforce they would decline and decay
to irrelevance.
The Royal Australian Mint is gearing up for the production of a special range of commemorative
coins to mark the bicentenary and the opening of the new Parliament House. Among them a
one off five dollar coin. But today the Mint began striking Australia's newest circulating
currency a two dollar coin which will replace the note next year.
The Treasurer Paul Keating set the presses rolling at the Royal Australian Mint this
morning to start production of the two dollar coin. The argument in favour of a coin over
the traditional two dollar note he says is quite literally about dollars and cents.
The reason for the change is of course the notes wear out. They only last four or five
months and they're finished. Whereas these go on for forty years.
The one dollar note was successfully replaced by a coin in 1984. The two dollar coin is
smaller about the diameter of a five cent piece but thicker and heavier.
Fraud Squad detectives in Perth have arrested a former director of the troubled Perth electronics
company Monetronics Limited. Bernard Ridgeway aged 33 of Waratah Avenue Dalkeith has been
charged with improperly causing Monetronics Limited to purport to allot shares to accord
nominees for proprietary limited. Ridgeway has been allowed bail of twenty thousand dollars
to appear in the central law courts on Friday. Last month the stock exchange suspended trading
in Monetronics after the Supreme Court decided not to validate its share issue.
Budget matters will dominate early proceedings of the spring session of State Parliament
which begins tomorrow. The WA government plans to introduce more than fifty bills. Proposed
legislation will deal with mental health, child welfare and tenancy laws, the operation
of credit unions and building societies and retail trading hours. Major issues to be addressed
by both houses will include the row over MPs travel and although it's a federal issue
the growing controversy over the Australia card. Now quickly turning to the weather.
Some showers clearing along the Euclid coast fresh to strong easterly winds in the tropics
tomorrow another lovely fine day in Perth 24 degrees maximum and 11 degree minimum.
That's all from the television newsroom for tonight. Back again tomorrow night at seven.
Good night.