Senator WOODLEY (2:52 PM) —My question is addressed to the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Senator Herron. I draw the minister's attention to media reports today, including the Courier-Mail editorial and Donald Horne on Radio National. Is the minister aware of historian Donald Horne's comment on Radio National this morning that the Prime Minister is the instigator of the statement that there is no stolen generation? Can you tell the Senate the exact nature of the involvement of the Prime Minister or his personal staff in the preparation of your submission?

Senator HERRON (Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs) —The statement was prepared by the Office of Indigenous Policy, which referred it to me. I altered it in a few respects, perhaps a little in phraseology. It was sent to Minister Ruddock's office—I think he was overseas at the time. They ticked it off, it went back to the Prime Minister's office, and he ticked it off. I think he was busy at the time. I am not sure whether he actually physically saw it, because he was otherwise engaged with the Queen's visit and a lot of other things. That is the process that it went through, and then I signed off on the final submission, having read it again, and put it into the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee. I understand—the chairman may correct me—that it was released last Thursday, but I am not absolutely certain about that. I was told by my counterpart in the other chamber, who had a copy when we were on a radio program. He is nodding his head. That was released by the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee on Thursday last week.

Senator WOODLEY —Further to the answer of the minister: Minister, was this policy part of a poll-driven strategy to shore up votes for the coalition in marginal regional seats in the lead-up to the next election, as many people in the media have claimed?

Senator HERRON (Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs) —I have seen that statement too. I absolutely refute that categorically. The government's position has not changed in three years. What I put in that submission is exactly the position that we have maintained. But I have never criticised the HREOC report, as you would be aware, because I do not believe it was my place to. That was a submission put forward by Sir Ronald Wilson on behalf of his committee. He interviewed 535 people with oral and written submissions and then the legal services did other collections—I think thousands of submissions. I have never been critical of that. But there has never been an opportunity to put the facts on the table; there just hasn't. I did not wish to debate that. The legal and constitutional affairs committee, with its instruction, gave us the opportunity to put the facts on the table, and I think people should judge them for themselves. That is why I say that I think everybody should get hold of that submission. All the historical matters, as best as we could get them, are in that document. (Time expired)