Senator RIDGEWAY (Deputy Leader of the Australian Democrats) (12:19 AM) —I had hoped to speak on this matter on another evening but I realise that in this week three of the four nights are up until midnight, and on the last one either most people will be disappearing or lining up on the adjournment speakers list. I will not keep the Senate too long on the issue I wish to speak about. It is essentially to talk about a document and to bring to the Senate's attention a document that I believe will play an important part in the social history of our nation, particularly in relation to the way we continue to deal with the challenge of achieving and promoting reconciliation. Some may be aware of the report Australia Deliberates—Reconciliation: Where to from here. It is the culmination of an unprecedented series of deliberations on reconciliation conducted by the organisation Issues Deliberation Australia. Senators may recall that Australia's first deliberative poll was conducted by this same organisation in 1999 at the time of the referendum on the republic.

I am sure that many of my colleagues in both houses of parliament would recall the weekend deliberations on reconciliation that took place here in Canberra at Old Parliament House earlier this year. The process itself was essentially about seeing a group of 350 Australians come together, taken from a national random sample, to deliberate on the issue of reconciliation. That is what has generated the final report. In addition to that, some senators may also be aware that the end result was the production of the film Without prejudice not so long after the deliberation itself. It followed the process of the series of deliberations in communities across the entire country, and the film was last week shown here in Parliament House. It is also expected to be screened by SBS in the coming months. I recommend all senators who are still awake may want to avail themselves of the opportunity watching it when it does arrive on the SBS television screens.

Much of the final report is about trying to move from the typical models of poll sampling that seeks to gauge people's views or interests or opinions on particular issues in an uninformed manner by asking people what their views are. What a deliberative poll seeks to do is to give people information to provide them with some means by which to make an informed decision and, as a result, hopefully shift opinion in such a way that people understand why they have a particular view and why they ought to support or not support some issue that is put forward. I would recommend the final report as something that senators and members ought to appraise themselves of.

I was approached by Issues Deliberation Australia to speak on the report. I am happy to do so not only as a result of that approach but also having been involved in the deliberation process itself. To me, the weekend was not only unique and informative but also identified some important issues about how we form opinions on issues such as reconciliation and the related issues, such as an apology or treaty between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Therefore, in that sense, I am happy to speak on the matter and to emphasise the importance for all political parties to be made aware of the types of issues that are discussed in this process. I think it gives us a chance to appreciate the way in which participants' opinions change once they are made aware of different information and once they meet indigenous people directly, and on that basis ask different questions or modify or change their views completely.

The project combined qualitative and quantitative methodologies to investigate the knowledge and attitudes that indigenous and non-indigenous Australians held about reconciliation. It was extensively researched between November 2000 and June 2001. Essentially, it was designed to facilitate the voice of indigenous and non-indigenous Australians about how reconciliation ought to be progressed. Not only was it a great experience for me; it is one that is well worth investing in, perhaps in the context of how the government might want to consider dealing with issues for the future.

For the people who came together, this weekend was a learning process about issues, with opportunities to question experts and advocates and community leaders on a variety of aspects of reconciliation and the different views that were being expressed. Most of all, the group had an opportunity to debate their views with their peers, ultimately leading to more informed opinions and discussion about the whole process leading to various issues in relation to reconciliation.

I particularly highlight that the symbolic gestures of reconciliation were universally perceived by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to be the foundation of lasting reconciliation, with 90 per cent of respondents in agreement that indigenous Australians believe that crucial to the reconciliation process is formal acknowledgment of their true place in Australia's history and Australia's future, acknowledgment of being unfairly treated in the past, an apology and compensation.

Prior to the deliberations, coalition and ALP supporters were starkly different. Comprehensive deliberation tended to negate that political divide, with opinions converging on the key aspects of reconciliation. The change in opinion that was recorded by the majority of participants in the deliberation was particularly stark on a number of key issues. One example was on the question of an apology, where the percentage of those in favour of an apology being given increased from 46 per cent to 68 per cent. On the question of native title, the figure also grew quite dramatically, increasing from 78 per cent in favour to 91 per cent. That is quite an astonishing figure in terms of providing information and bringing about that type of result. On other issues, such as the question of a treaty or a series of agreements, the figure only increased from 46 per cent to 63 per cent—a figure that perhaps reflects the fact that most Australians are still somewhat unsure and uncomfortable about what a treaty or a series of agreements might result in.

To conclude, in terms of what I regard as the government focus for the future and the take-out message from this final report, support for education as a key priority rose significantly, from 42 per cent to 59 per cent, while the figure for health, unemployment and housing dropped by an average of 10 per cent—not being regarded as a high priority. It is quite interesting to look at those figures. It tells us something about the way people view things if they are given the opportunity to do so.

I encourage all members and senators from all political parties to read the final report. I have said on many occasions that the achievement of real and lasting reconciliation is an ongoing process and I do not believe that we ought to leave it behind just because the Council for Reconciliation has now completed its term. I regard the report and the process as yet another important step on the reconciliation path. I believe that, in many respects, it has identified an important way of being able to deal with many outstanding issues, including taking the time to educate ourselves about each other's opinions and perspectives on issues relating tonot only reconciliation but also the place that indigenous cultures play in our past, present and future.

Senate adjourned at 12.28 a.m. (Wednesday)