Monday 18th November 1996
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Ms Hanson's maiden speech to Parliament. Oxley Independent MP Pauline Hanson slammed the Australian media over the weekend for misrepresenting her.
Ms Hanson said, "The media is putting across a different image of me.
"The majority of Australians (considered to be about 90%) out there are giving me the support that I want when I go anywhere and it's absolutely wonderful."
Ms Hanson said that she did not believe that there was an upsurge in racism in Australia and felt that Australians were a tolerant people as a rule.
She went on to say that despite media reports to the contrary she never said that she would not represent Aborigines or Asians.
However her concerns remained about the funding that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) get which is swallowed up by the organisation's bureaucrats before it gets down to the grass roots level.
She also said that she had no problem with the idea of one of her children marrying an Aboriginal. "If they are happy and they are going to share a happy life together, that's their life, that's their choice," she said.
The television media once again had their own interpretation and distortion of the issues that Ms Hanson raised. A Singaporean student was interviewed last night on Channel 9's 60 Minutes programme. The young man claimed that he had been assaulted three times in the last three months and that Ms Hanson's comments were to blame.
He said that he was returning to Singapore and would tell "anyone who listened" that Australia had become a racist country.
The very same day Channel 7's Today Tonight programme promoted heavily an upcoming "current affair" report about a branch of ATSIC which had misspent Au$19 million...
No mention of Ms Hanson at all as the person who created the stir which is leading to the uncovering of some much tax payers money which has been rorted in this system. Just another example of media manipulation.
The media bias in Australia has become extreme with "racist incidents" being blown up into something that they are not, with Ms Hanson's name thrown in for good measure for the unknown agendas of the men who pull the strings.
Please take the time to read Ms Hanson's "controversial" maiden speech" which the media have based so much of their one-sided reporting on and decide for yourself whether they are the issues and the views of a racist.
Employers responded by saying that the offer was too generous and would hurt small business as it would be available to about half the number of workers on Federal Awards.
On the other hand the Australian Council of Trade Unions said the offer was "pathetic". It has backed three annual pay rises of Au$20 per week.
Howard said, "With inflation currently at about 1%, an Au$8 a week increase will maintain real wages for employees on the lowest award classifications without jeopardising their continued employment prospects."
On the side opposition Labor leader said that the Federal Coalition would soon try to introduce a "goods and service" tax.
As someone who has been on the Unemployment roller coster ride with job creation programs failing badly - Then having to put up with government red tape when I started my Small businees and now having to be on the receiving end of the new Firearms Laws all I can say is one day I hope we get a government who are at least close to the reality of everyday life.
Trevor Brown
Destined to go into the "big smoke" this afternoon.
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