In Australia any racist can become Prime Minister
Neil Boss
country, supported apartheid regime in South Africa and refused to condemn
racism created by Hansen.
Further he talks of social cohesion the need to assimulate into Aussie
society, tells us that we need to forget where we came from. However, when
he went to the East Asian meeting to create a trading block, the Australian
governments official stance is that they are both Western and Asian nation.
Ummmm while all the while migrants have been told to assimulate.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/when-talk-of-racism-is-just-not-cricket/2
005/12/15/1134500961607.html#
When talk of racism is just not cricket
Email Print Normal font Large font December 16, 2005
Page 1 of 2
NOW that the rancid old race dog is out of the kennel for
another trot around the block it is timely to see just where the wretched
hound is going to take the man holding the lead, John Howard.
Howard said at the beginning of the week that he doesn't accept Australia is
a racist country. Nor does he think we should "overcomplicate" the violent
situation on the streets of Sydney.
If it's treated simply as a law and order issue then we can "more readily
get back to a situation we all want" - presumably an undisturbed summer in
the banana chair at Kirribilli House with the cricket droning on the telly.
The trouble is that every time John Howard says something about race all
sorts of dark shadows fall out of his mouth. He is a man whose
pronouncements on the topic invariably have been wreathed in opportunistic
circumlocutions.
Even before Howard got into trouble over his Asian immigration remarks of
1988 and beyond, there was South Africa.
In 1985, as deputy leader of the opposition Howard was fighting the softies
in the Liberal Party who wanted to support economic sanctions against the
apartheid regime in South Africa. Ian Macphee was the opposition's foreign
affairs spokesman at the time and he gave an interview to The Age published
on July 30, 1985 which left the way open for the opposition to support
economic sanctions. Howard fought the move, declaring: "Sanctions will
inevitably hurt the poor blacks in South Africa more than any other section
of the South African population."
They would also hurt the large corporate interests that Howard has made a
life long habit of enthusiastically stroking.
Later in 1995 Howard, by then opposition leader, said he didn't regret his
opposition to economic sanctions against the white supremacist government of
South Africa. He thought he was in good company because anti-apartheid
campaigners Helen Suzman and Alan Paton both opposed sanctions.
Even earlier, in 1981, when Malcolm Fraser's government adopted the position
that aircraft carrying the Springbok to New Zealand could not refuel in
Australia, Howard let the Prime Minister know that he was most unhappy about
the prohibition.
On August 1, 1988 Howard, as opposition leader, threw a Molotov cocktail
into the political desert. Talking about Asian immigration he said: "If it
is in the eyes of some in the community too great, it would be in our
immediate term interests and supportive of social cohesion if it were slowed
down a little so that the capacity of the community to absorb were greater."
The Hawke government saw an opportunity in a flash and proposed a motion to
the parliament opposing the use of race to select immigrants. Howard fought
desperately against the motion, but could not contain divisions in his own
party. Ian Macphee, Steele Hall and Philip Ruddock (yes Philip Ruddock)
crossed the floor to support the motion. Michael MacKellar and Ian Wilson,
two other Liberals, abstained. The deputy leader of the opposition, Andrew
Peacock, flew to Melbourne for an important meeting.
Later Howard sought to redefine what he'd said about too many Asians
spoiling our "social cohesion" by talking about curtailing the family
reunion policy.
By September 1988, with the polls showing strong support for his position,
he was rehearsing the lines he was to use so successfully years later in the
Tampa election: "I don't think it is wrong, racist, immoral or anything, for
a country to say 'we will decide what the cultural identity and the cultural
destiny of this country will be and nobody else'."
He then proceeded to say how "vulgar and demeaning" it was for the Hawke
government to be "grovelling and apologising" to our Asian neighbours over
the immigration "debate".
On August 31, 1989 Howard told the Federal Council of Polish Associations,
"I don't have a prejudiced bone in my body."
In 1998 when Pauline Hanson was bagging Aboriginal welfare and Asian
immigration, Howard said he would never call One Nation supporters "racist".
So with all this context is it any wonder, for a man who has spoken out of
both sides of his mouth for 30 years on race, that he wouldn't detect just
the tiniest hint of racism in the land he leads, and moreover not lift a
finger to do anything about it?
The Hawke government saw an opportunity in a flash and proposed a motion to
the parliament opposing the use of race to select immigrants. Howard fought
desperately against the motion, but could not contain divisions in his own
party. Ian Macphee, Steele Hall and Philip Ruddock (yes Philip Ruddock)
crossed the floor to support the motion. Michael MacKellar and Ian Wilson,
two other Liberals, abstained. The deputy leader of the opposition, Andrew
Peacock, flew to Melbourne for an important meeting.
Later Howard sought to redefine what he'd said about too many Asians
spoiling our "social cohesion" by talking about curtailing the family
reunion policy.
By September 1988, with the polls showing strong support for his position,
he was rehearsing the lines he was to use so successfully years later in the
Tampa election: "I don't think it is wrong, racist, immoral or anything, for
a country to say 'we will decide what the cultural identity and the cultural
destiny of this country will be and nobody else'."
He then proceeded to say how "vulgar and demeaning" it was for the Hawke
government to be "grovelling and apologising" to our Asian neighbours over
the immigration "debate".
On August 31, 1989 Howard told the Federal Council of Polish Associations,
"I don't have a prejudiced bone in my body."
In 1998 when Pauline Hanson was bagging Aboriginal welfare and Asian
immigration, Howard said he would never call One Nation supporters "racist".
So with all this context is it any wonder, for a man who has spoken out of
both sides of his mouth for 30 years on race, that he wouldn't detect just
the tiniest hint of racism in the land he leads, and moreover not lift a
finger to do anything about it?