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Aborigines 'deserve a royal apology'

By Robert Hardman in Canberra

27 March 2000 - AFTER a week of large crowds and little controversy, the royal tour of Australia was finally dragged into the political arena yesterday when a party leader called on the Queen to apologise to the Aboriginal people for their suffering at the hands of the Crown.

Meg Lees, head of the Australian Democrats, a minority opposition party, told a national television audience that the British Government should advise the Queen to apologise to indigenous Australians because Britain was the colonising power.

The Democrats, who command nine seats in a parliament of 225, have repeatedly called on Australia's prime minister, John Howard, to apologise on behalf of the nation. While he has expressed his "personal sorrow" for Aboriginal suffering, Mr Howard has made clear that a blanket apology on behalf of a 100-year-old nation for the events of 200 years ago would be meaningless.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said that the issue was a matter for the Australian government. There was no sign of any tensions yesterday as the Queen and Prince Philip attended a service of morning prayer in Canberra. A mostly monarchist crowd of more than 1,000 stood outside the Church of St John the Baptist and was rewarded with a walkabout.

Spotting Luke Mastronardi, 19, wearing an adidas baseball cap, the Prince looked puzzled. He said: "Adidas? I thought you put that on your feet." Mr Mastronardi's neighbour, Georgina Fitzpatrick, 51, had a swift explanation: "It's an upside down country!"

On Saturday, the Queen held an investiture for members of the Australian-led United Nations peacekeeping force in East Timor. Among those honoured was Maj Gen Peter Cosgrove, leader of the Interfet operation, who was made a Companion of the Military Division of the Order of Australia.

This article is from The Daily Telegraph

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