Fed: Perkins says he won t change his mind on OAM

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2000
Fed: Perkins says he won t change his mind on OAM

CANBERRA, April 4 AAP - ATSIC commissioner and veteran activist Charles Perkins said
today he would not reconsider his decision to hand back his Order of Australia Medal (OAM).

Mr Perkins said he would personally hand his treasured award to Governor-General Sir
William Deane at Yarralumla next week.

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley today urged him and Aboriginal actor Justine Saunders
not to give up their accolades in protest.

But Mr Perkins said: "I'm giving it back next Tuesday or Wednesday.

"It's going to happen, I'm still going to do it.

"I just have no faith in this prime minister (John Howard), I don't trust him.

"He's the worst prime minister we've ever had; Pauline Hanson in disguise.

"He's not leading us anywhere; he's causing dissention and conflict."

Mr Perkins said he made the difficult decision to hand back the OAM at the weekend
when he learned of the government's submission denying the existence of a stolen generation
of Aboriginal children.

"It's pretty hard (to hand it back) because I loved it," Mr Perkins said.

"I got it in 1987; I've had it with me all the time; it's a great treasure.

"And I think I earned it. I've been involved for 45 years in Aboriginal affairs."

He had no regrets about his statements to British radio yesterday that the government's
position on the stolen generation made violent protests at the Sydney Olympics inevitable.

"I don't regret what I said," he said.

"Everyone was so emotional, everyone was so traumatised, but I've never advocated violence.

"None of this would have happened if he (Mr Howard) hadn't said that about the stolen generation.

"That really blew us out of the water, it was the last straw," he said.

AAP rmg/dep/arb/bwl

KEYWORD: STOLEN PERKINS DAYLEAD

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