Tuesday 27th May 1997
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But let's face it the blame wasn't totally on Howard's shoulders. Howard, Beazley and Democrats leader Cheryl Kernot as well as Victorian State Premier Jeff Kennett paraded on the stage at the Melbourne Casino auditorium like a debating team. Their suits in contrast to the paint and loin cloths being worn by many of the Aboriginal attendees from the Kulin nation. (The Kulin nation once roamed the area now occupied by greater Melbourne).
One after the other the debating team got up and talked white man's talk - this quickly resulted in fraying of the nerves with an aboriginal activist storming the stage and laying down the law - before she was removed by aboriginal elders from the stage.
The tide really turned when Howard got up to address the several thousand gathered there. He started off in the right vein apologising with the words, "Equally I am sorry for the hurt and trauma many here today may continue to feel as a consequence of our practices."
The words raised a healthy round of applause... but then instead of shutting up and sitting down while the going was good he committed the ultimate diplomatic blunder by adding, "Australians of this generation should not be required to accept guilt and blame for past actions and policies over which they had no control."
Perhaps the words were clinically correct - but the forum and the time wasn't.
He then got caught up trying to explain his ten point plan over Wik - this resulted in hundreds of the assembly standing and turning their backs on him - the ultimate Aboriginal insult.
Howard knew he had blown it and in the words of keynote speaker Dr Alex Boraine, vice-chairman of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, "If I wanted to put it crudely, I would say that your Prime Minister has balls, but he hasn't got a hell of a lot of heart."
Ms Kernot got up after Howard and said, "It's not so hard to apologise. Isn't that what we teach our children all the time? The ability to apologise is a sign of emotional maturity."
Howard sat stoney faced on the podium with nowhere to hide.
Anyway the convention was an unmitigated disaster with Howard running from the auditorium to his waiting car.
A fellow who did earn admiration was Patrick Dodson chairman of the Reconciliation Council. He ran the event very carefully and with great presence of mind - unlike Howard who, hopefully, learnt a thing or two from the experience.
A leading Japanese industrialist Seiji Kawarabayashi the managing director of Mitsui Australia said yesterday that his company would withdraw their investment from Australia if the current 15% tariff protection was withdrawn.
He said that the current policy to cut car tariff protection to just 5% after 2004 was a major disincentive for Japanese car makers to invest in Australia.
While referring to the issue of native title and its effect over resources in Australia in his speech to a symposium at Parliament House in Canberra, Seiji said, "From a Japanese perspective, resolution of this matter is essential to begin to restore investor's confidence in the future of the mining and energy projects in Australia".
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Official home page.
Wishing Pauline Hanson A Very Happy Birthday For May 27th. I Hope that your One Nation Adelaide Lauch in Adelaide is sucessful in June.
David Allen SA.
Dear Sir,
Thanks for the long message in explaining the Murdoch conspiracy. For the time being, I think I'll take a more neutral stand about Murdoch since there are supporters as well as critics.
There is, however, one thing I'd like to clarify. I am not against any individual like Ms Hanson, or party like One Nation. As pointed out in my previous message, the concern is really about what the overwhelming opinion of the Australian mainstream is. The word "racist" is, to some people, very offensive, but let's treat it as a neutral word which describes only the intrinsic characteristics of a certain group of people, be it right or wrong ethically. Whether Pauline and her party is racist or not does not matter at all. But the effect of her speeches arouse a good number of "Australian mainstream" to practise what they believe in the "racist" sense. To me, it is the aftermath that matters.
Please take a look of the following article
***************************
HKStandard-Letters to the Editor (21/05/1997)
We don't want Asians
WE welcome Chinese to Australia as tourists, as we are welcome as tourists in Hong Kong. The fact is, the majority of Australians do not want Asians as migrants - we have too many Chinese and want no more. It is straight forward really. You don't want Australians as migrants in Hong Kong and the Australian people want the same rights as Asian countries have. No more Asian migrants. Only our government wants Asian immigration and that's because of commercial reasons and its aim to improve exports. Just remember the government never had a mandate for Asian immigration from the people. Most Australians opposed it from the start and today the people have had enough and are saying no more Asian migrants.
Colonel W Turnbull, Anglo Saxon and European Rights League Carnegie, Victoria Australia
***************************
Does this have anything to do with Murdoch? I doubt. Is Mr Trunbull's
view representative? I believe so.
If Pauline did not pin-point the Asians in her maiden speech (as posted in your website) but suggested that all Caucasians as well as Asians should be blocked for the sake of Australia's future, I believe no Asian government or presses would raise a single lash against Hanson and Australia as a whole, but blessings. Look, the Australian immigration policy is her own internal affairs, just like the Tibet issue belongs to Beijing alone. But if Asians are treated as dirt or invaders in Hanson's speech, backfiring is certainly inevitable. A lot of Australians mistaken that Asian governments were enraged when Pauline suggests the government to shut her door of migrants. On the contrary, the Asian authorities are in fact much grateful because the cream of the population, the educated, the wealthy... lose another access to flee their countries!
Since you suggest that the Murdoch press is biased, is there any better alternatives that reflect the facts? Are these alternatives readily ava ilable to the Asian countries? I can assure you that if a rapidly deteriorating relationship is not watched out and remedied, the Asia-Australia ties are doomed to breakage soon.
Best regards.
Sincerely,
Dr Wan Kai Tak, Singapore
The Australian government have quite openly embraced multiculturalism without ever explaining their vision to the mainstream population. This has led, understandably, to fears that are echoed by Ms Hanson and her One Nation party on behalf of a large section of the population - fears which have been denegrated by the mainstream media who have attached the word "racist" to everything that she says.
A large section of mainstream Australia feel gagged - while they do not understand the issues related to multiculturalism they no longer feel that they can discuss their concerns without being labelled "racist".
We are hoping to embark on an on-line exercise of "bridging the gap" by including a new section within the Australian News of the Day. We sincerely hope that this new forum with a different perspective on key issues now challenging Australia will result in, at the very least, a better understanding by people with differing viewpoints - leading to a better understanding of the conflicting concerns and, hopefully, a resolution, however small - through a better understanding of how to address the issues. This is your forum. Our editorial stance will continue to reflect what we believe mainstream Australia think and feel - however it will endeavour to reflect a better understanding as issues are resolved.
A key part of this new forum will be your views which can be read, discussed, understood and then addressed on-line.
Subject: Aboriginal Rights....
I look at it this way...
What's a fair estimate of Aboriginal occupancy in Australia, 2000 years?
You only have to be 1/16 Aboriginal to recieve special benefits.
So, a 1/16 Aboriginal has, at best, 1/16 * 2000 = 125 years on one side
and 200 years on the other, totalling...325 years of attachment to this
land.
Myself on the other hand, descend from the 'First Fleet', that's 200
years on each side, totalling 400 years!
Can I jump up and down and say I have more right to this country than
anyone else?
Cameron!
Subject: Comments on Australian News of the Day
You assert that "What Ms Hanson said is that she doesn't want Asian
ghettos." But when we follow the link to her maiden speech we find
that what she actually said was that Asians "form ghettos and do not
assimilate" and "Do we want or need any of these people here? I am
one red-blooded Australian who says no".
You assert that "We want Asians who can assimilate into our society".
But your leader says that Asians don't assimilate. Maybe you should
find another party whose leader agrees with you?
--
Tim
Costello pointed at the example set by Aussie Home Loans who had dropped the full amount suggesting that home buyers should not look past them when applying for a home loan.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics the population will grow from 18.1 million in 1995 to between 24.9 and 28.3 million in 2051.
Almost 25% of Australians will be 65 or older.
The most interesting statistic is the expected movement of the population between states and growth in '000s:
| State | 30/6/1995 | 30/6/2051 - projection |
| New South Wales | 6,115.1 | 8,466 |
| Queensland | 3,277.4 | 6,437.7 |
| Victoria | 4,502 | 5,244 |
| Western Australia | 1,731.7 | 3,091.3 |
| South Australia | 1,474 | 1,606.8 |
| ACT | 304.1 | 484.7 |
| Tasmania | 473 | 445.7 |
| Northern Territory | 173.9 | 294.6 |
Have a great day.
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