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Nelson treads sorry path between whispers

By Michelle Grattan

6 February 2008 - Brendan Nelson goes into today's party meetings struggling to assert his authority over the Opposition, as he faces a whispering campaign by those wanting a change of leadership.

Dr Nelson continued to prevaricate yesterday on whether he would recommend support of the Government's motion to apologise to the stolen generations. Nor would he say whether Coalition MPs should have a conscience vote.

One Liberal source reported a "mood of despair" in the party about Dr Nelson's ineffective leadership and confusion about what he stood for. While this source suggested the disillusionment might be serious enough for a move against him, others said it would be ludicrous to contemplate this before Dr Nelson had even faced Parliament.

Pressure continued to mount for the Liberals to go along with the apology, and it is likely they will do so.

Andrew Robb, Coalition foreign affairs spokesman and a former federal director of the party, said: "I feel it is time to make the apology and move on."

He did not think there should be a conscience vote. "That would make our engagement in the resolution of the many outstanding serious problems in indigenous affairs more difficult." If MPs wanted to abstain in Parliament, "that's their call".

Dr Nelson said he would outline to his colleagues his "strong belief", which would be informed by his conversation with the Prime Minister about the apology's content.

Dr Nelson has had Liberal whip Alex Somlyay seek MPs' opinions on the apology.

The Nationals discussed the issue at a party meeting. They canvassed the Howard government's 1999 statement of regret and Labor's unsuccessful attempt to write a provision for "restitution" into it. The Rudd Government has said its apology will not lead to compensation.

Nationals leader Warren Truss has opposed an apology in the past but has not given a public view during this debate.

Today will see separate Liberal and National party meetings and a joint parties meeting; another meeting of the joint parties will be held tomorrow.

Kevin Rudd, who today will speak to Dr Nelson about the wording of the apology, said the Government had decided a resolution of the Parliament — rather than a declaration — was the appropriate form "on the advice we have received".

This advice came "from various agencies of government", Mr Rudd said.

"A resolution of the Parliament is the right, substantive and most appropriate symbolic act that we can take to put this behind us as a nation.

"We have a big opportunity here (to) grab this with both hands, get on with it so that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australia can move forward together on the critical, practical, substantive challenge of closing the gap" between indigenous and other Australians.

The resolution will go to the Senate as well — where the Coalition still has a majority.

The two days of party meetings will also consider industrial relations.

The Coalition must take a stand on Government legislation, due to be introduced next week, to prohibit new Australian Workplace Agreements.

Dr Nelson reaffirmed yesterday that WorkChoices was dead as Coalition policy but said workplace flexibility was extremely important. The Opposition would be further defining the principles of its industrial relations approach, he said.

Source: The Age

Further information: stolen generations issues page - includes news index and external links