The Wire

The Prime Minister is today being accused of misleading cabinet in seeking approval for the proposed National Indigenous Advisory Council. The National Indigenous Times is claiming that John Howard and Indigenous Affairs Minister Amanda Vanstone wrongly claimed to have the support of Indigenous lawyer Noel Pearson, when arguing for the establishment of the Council. The PM has put up the idea of the government-appointed advisory body as a replacement for the soon-to-be-abolished Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, ATSIC. But National Indigenous Times Editor Chris Graham says Noel Pearson does not support the idea. Mr Graham says both John Howard and Amanda Vanstone are responsible for the mistake.