Australasian Political Studies Association Conference 2003
Hosted by the School of Government
University of Tasmania

Public Policy Stream

'Reconciliation' and Australian Politics since 1991

Angela Pratt
Australian Parliamentary Fellow
Department of the Parliamentary Library
Parliament of Australia
Canberra

Abstract:

Since its formal inception into Australian political discourse via the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act 1991, the concept of 'reconciliation' has become a central and influential force in shaping debates about Indigenous–non-Indigenous relations in Australia. 'Reconciliation' has also, arguably, been a major theme of Australian political life over the last decade more generally. For example, 'reconciliation' has been assigned a key role in debates over native title and the stolen generations, but has also been discussed in the context of events such as the Sydney Olympic Games. In these contexts, the concept of reconciliation has become a benchmark of sorts: if something is perceived to be 'good' – for example, the High Court's Mabo decision – it is hailed as 'a big step forward for reconciliation'; if it is perceived to be 'bad' – for example, Prime Minister Howard's refusal to formally apologise to members of the stolen generations – it is said to have 'set the reconciliation process back'.

However, while the idea of 'reconciliation' now seems to be permanently etched on the Australian political landscape, there is no universally accepted understanding of what the concept means. This paper will use examples from parliamentary and political debates to argue that, rather than hampering its influence as a concept in Australian political life, the vague nature of 'reconciliation' is precisely what gives the concept its force. This is because the amorphous nature of the concept allows a broad range of political players to attach their own meanings to the term. Further, as a result of its success in transcending political differences over the 12 years since it first began to be widely used, 'reconciliation' has become a ubiquitous concept in Australian political discourse. The paper will argue that it is the ubiquity of the concept of reconciliation, as much as any ideas which attach to the concept itself, which has enabled 'reconciliation' to become a central and influential force in shaping political debates about Indigenous–non-Indigenous relations in Australia.