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Friday 29th November 1996

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Events escalated dramatically following yesterday's reported threats by Federal Treasurer Peter Costello about tax rises if the Budget was stalled in the Senate by minor parties.

Costello turned the heat on the Democrats in particular claiming that if the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) changes were knocked back then he would use the Senate's repeated rejection to trigger a double dissolution to dissolve both Houses of Parliament.

Costello said, "We are going to put that Au$400 million back to them (the Senate), we are going to ask them to reconsider, and if they don't reconsider then in three months' time we are going to put it to them again as the constitution makes provision for."

Prime Minister John Howard quickly came into the picture to calm things down saying, "I have expressed on a number of occasions a desire for the Parliament to run its full course, I just ask you all not to get excited."

Democrats leader Cheryl Kernot last night rejected Costello saying, "This is Peter Costello, bovver boy. He needs to go to the Peter Reith school of negotiations".

You say:

We received the following very long email from a Mr John Burt who, according to his header, works within the Parliament of Australia.

The email is based on a number of reports and letters to the editor which appeared in various Australian newspapers.

We have linked his copy of Hanson's speech in Parliament to that already on line.

There is one observation that I would like to make before you enter into the anti-Hanson statements that follow.

The reference to Singaporean soldiers being attacked and the attack being Hanson inspired turned out to be a drunken brawl between indigenous Aborigines and a group of Singaporean soldiers.

Now I, for one, would have thought that someone in Parliament would have known this - and thus I question the motive and the integrity of the various reports, but for the record they are listed here, unedited.

The section is long, here is a quick link to the first news after these reports.

From: "John Burt" John.Burt@aph.gov.au
Organization: Parliament of Australia

To: global@gwb.com.au

Subject: Hanson Be honest in yourselves

X-Url: http://www.gwb.com.au/gwb/news/496/1211.html

Be fair to your country and people.

RACISM IN AUSTRALIA!

For further information relating to the issues below please contact your nearest Australian Consulate or Embassy if you are not within Australia or go to the Australian government Homepage or your nearest member of Parliament.

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Hanson blamed for rising violence

The Sydney Morning Herald 14th of November 1996

Attacks on Asian Australians had more than doubled since the Independent MP Ms Pauline Hanson made her maiden speech in Federal Parliament, a new survey has revealed. Verbal, physical and written abuse against Chinese Australians had more than doubled, while the number of times that Chinese Australians had been spat upon had more than trebled since the controversial speech, in which Ms Hanson opposed Asian immigration and said Australia was being "swamped" by Asians.

The 1,100 respondents to the survey reported that before the speech, there had been 23 incidents of written abuse, 299 of verbal abuse, 40 of physical abuse and 25 spitting incidents. After the speech, there had been 47 incidents of written abuse, 670 of verbal abuse, 95 of physical abuse and 79 spitting incidents.

The survey was conducted by one of the largest Chinese language daily newspapers, Sing Tao, (circulation 25,000). The editor, Mr Patrick Poon, said yesterday that only respondents who supplied their names and addresses were allowed to take part.

The president of the Australian-Chinese Community Association, Ms Catherine Chung, said the survey confirmed reports which the association had received of an increase in the number of racially motivated assaults. "I have been an Australian citizen for 20 years and after the Pauline Hanson speech I was verbally abused for the first time, and that was in the city, outside the Art Gallery of NSW," she said.

She said the association had conducted a weekly walk tour for its elderly members for many years every Monday but had been forced to cancel it in the past few weeks because of racial abuse from passing motorists.

She said the fact that the survey had been conducted in retrospect, comparing incidents before the speech and those after, may have slightly influenced the results, but it was still clear that the level of abuse had gone up considerably.

In a statement released with the survey, a spokesman for the Chinese-Australian Forum, Dr Wan Yeow, wrote: "Freedom of speech does not equate with a licence to hurt those in the minority and the weak among us. If such is the case, then this nation is in anarchy."

The Labor Party Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney, Councillor Henry Tsang, said it was no longer just a Pauline Hanson phenomenon but a John Howard problem.

"It has been clearly demonstrated that the leadership in the Federal Government actually motivates and encourages freedom of speech to mean freedom of harassment and freedom to insult people of different backgrounds," Cr Tsang said. "I was in Singapore last week and no-one really remembers or cares who the Independent Member was, but they did focus on what the Prime Minister says. Why is it so difficult for him to renounce her views?" Cr Tsang said there definitely was a fear in the communities, not so much of individual attacks but that the Government had departed from a commitment to a harmonious society to the prospect of a divided one.

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RACIST TAUNTING MAY BE COMMONPLACE

Sydney Morning Herald, 2 November 1996

I read with interest Rob Brook's letter from Hong Kong (Oct 24) regarding the growing concern of people of Asian descent who plan to visit Australia. I will relate my experiences in Sydney for the last two visits I made. This is my second visit to Sydney from the US for a family visit. On my first visit in 1993, i experienced angry glares from a fish and chip vendor at Harbourside and a tea/biscuit waitress at the Concert hall foyer of the Sydney Opera House. Both instances were responses to my polite inquiries.

I ignored the racial implications of their responses, and when Sydney was chosen as the Olympic Games site, I was delighted, and planned to come and visit some of my family members i Sydney in 2000 This year, October was special as several other family members would join us from other parts of Asia for a family reunion. To my dismay, this visit has been made unpleasant by anti-Asian sentiment. My family and I have been taunted as "chinks" many time in the 2 1/2 weeks we have been here, from pre-school-age children at the roadside to eight-to nine-year-old school children on school trips at Old Sydney Town.

As Fay Zhen describe (Agenda, October 24) crossing a street is an obstacle course. Today is our last full day in Sydney: we will return to the US tomorrow. My last memory will be of the 19- to 20- year old man at town Hall railway station. As my family and I approached the platform to wait for the train, this young man looked at me and said, "F...!" He took the box he was sitting on, cursed some more, moved from my side to te side of the next Caucasian on the platform. He glanced back at me more ferociously and said some more racial slurs I did not provoke the man. He was in rage because I stood by him. I did not say anything and looked away.

Sydney 2000 is four years away, and as many as the unpleasant experiences I and my family had this year, there were as many friendly and helpful Australian adults. I am hopeful that Australia can find some healing, specially for its future generation. Racism is evil.

Bonita Mangura
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, New Jersey Medical School
Newark (USA) Oct 25,1996

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EXTREMISTS TO FUND HANSON

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, November 4, 1996

AUSTRALIA'S most powerful extreme right-wing organisation has pledged financial support for Independent MP Pauline Hanson.

League of Rights head Eric Butler said yesterday his group would support Ms Hanson for as long as she continued to fight Asian immigration.

The league is financing the printing and distribution of hundreds of thousands of copies of Ms Hanson's maiden speech.

And it may consider inviting her to be the guest of honour at its next annual dinner. Mr Butler told the Daily Telegraph Ms Hanson could open the way for other right-leaning groups. "We recommend people support her," Mr Butler said.

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GUESTS ABUSED

HEADLINE THE DAILY TELEGRAPH OCTOBER 30,1996

Visiting troops subjected to insults and violence - Singapore troops training in Australia have been bashed, robed and abused in a series of attacks linked by officials to the Pauline Hanson race debate.

Since the 1000-strong force arrived as guests of the Australian Armed Forces, one officer needed medical treatment after being elbowed in the face by a passer-by, two officers were racially abused and robbed near their hotel and an officer was harassed by a gang of locals, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

Two air force women were also abused with anti-Asian taunts and ht by eggs thrown from a passing car. It is the first time the large, annual military exercises at Queensland's Shoalwater Bay, which injects about $20 million into the local economy, has been marred by such incidents.

The Singapore High Commission and military protested to local councils last week.

The High Commission has declined to comment but senior Singaporean official made the link with Ms Hanson's comments. "It is unfortunate that what she said is harboured by a minority but we think it is only a minority that harbour such racist views," said the source.

Livingstone Shire Mayor Barbara Wildin said there had been at least five "major" unprovoked attacks which she claimed stemmed directly from sentiments generated by Ms Hanson.

Mrs Wildin said she had received two verbal protest from concerned representatives from the Singaporean High Commission and the Singaporean Armed Forces on Tuesday last week.

Both asked whether something could be done. "It is really sad because the Singaporeans are so well behaved and they have been training here for years and there has never been a problem. "Mrs Wildin said. "I think these incidents come from this nonsense put up by Pauline Hanson. "Anyone who thinks we don't fit in the East Pacific rim, they don't know what they're talking about." All this nonsense is generating or creating a feeling between the races in this country and you can attribute the whole lot of it to the one doorstep."

The highly trained Singapore military has been ordered not to retaliate to any racial taunts or violence and respect the fact they are guests in another country. One Singaporean source said there were other minor racial remarks made which were not being reported to superiors.

The Defence Department has instructed one of its officer in Rockhampton to investigate the attacks as the Singapore military considers a curfew to protects its troops. The move would slash the multi-million dollar shopping spree the troops engage in - annual training exercise injects about $20 million into the Shoalwater economy.

Mrs Wildin said people in government should appreciate the gravity of such incident and the harm Ms Hanson's comments are making in the region.

Rockhampton police have been gen a special direction from their superior to "take any action" necessary to prevent further abuse. Rockhampton City Council spokesman, Russel Peate said he was not sure what the reason was behind the attacks. Asked if he thought they were linked to Ms Hanson's recent remarks, he said they had never happened before.

"My investigation thus far has led me to believe it is basically a storm in a tea cup," he said. "There is no cause for major concern at all." The incident come as the Singaporean Armed Forces and the Federal Government signed a pact to allow 500 Singapore air force personnel and their families to establish a base in Queensland for the next 15 years.

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voice of the people

ASIAN ABUSED

As an Asian born Australian, I was verbally abused recently by some so-called "AUSTRALIANS" on local streets. I have no objection to a national discussion on immigration to help us agree to choose the best way to benefit Australia.

But there is no need to abuse Asians in public. Actually, a lot of Asians on the urban strets are overseas students and tourists: attacks on them damage the reputation of the country.

America has a reputation for racial disrimination, yet I stayed in the US for nine months in 1991 and was never abused or ill-treated.

I always try to help Asian students coming to Australia. They are all international student-fee payers.

At this stage, I would not encourage anybody to study here because I do not want them to have the same experiences I had.

The Daily Telegraph October 30,1996

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"A BUSINESSMAN comes home from work to find "Chinks go home" painted on his front fence.

An elderly woman walking down a suburban Melbourne street on her way to a Buddhist temple is drenched by a garden hose and told to "go back to where you come from".

Five youth yell abuse at a young Asian woman getting off a bus in inner Sydney.

An Aboriginal legal service in Ipswich receives mail saying "black drink their money" and "burn their houses for firewood".

The Weekend Australian October 12-13 1996

Editors note: I was verbally abused yesterday by a group of four white nineteen year-old white boys when I caught them trying to catch the chicks of some local sulphur crested cockatoos on my property. I was told "F... off" in no uncertain terms as they retreated back across the river to their cars after I had confronted them.

The incident happened at midday, their vehicles were photographed for identification purposes and was reported to the police after they threatened to damage my home.

Now if I had been an Asian would that incident have been linked to the Hanson debate as well?

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TB 'brought in by Asians'

Independent MP Graeme Campbell yesterday blamed Asian immigration for the Victorian tuberculosis scare, in which 150 nurses have tested positive to TB.

"Australia went to great lengths to eradicate tuberculosis and yet in an area of Melbourne with a high Asian population there has been this remarkable outbreak with 150 nurses testing positive," said Mr Campbell.

A spokesman for Acting Immigration Minister Jim Short said Mr Campbell's claims were untrue.

"Tuberculosis testing is mandatory for all migrants," the spokesman said.

The Daily Telegraph, Thursday, October 10, 1996.(p4)

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Australian PM Wants to erase Racist Past and wants to deny the near Genocide of Aborigines

The Prime Minister has responded to widespread criticism of his claim that schools are teaching a wrong view of Australia's racial history by saying that he wanted to take a more optimistic view of Australia's history than did some others. "I take an optimistic view of Australian society. I take a more optimistic view of our past than some do. I take a more optimistic view of our present and I certainly take a more optimistic view of our future," he told a University of Sydney graduation ceremony yesterday. Mr Howard did not repeat his controversial comments of the previous day that Australians were insulted to be told Australia had a racist, bigoted past and that it was wrong for this to be taught in schools. Officials in the Prime Minister's office claimed yesterday that Mr Howard's comments about race had been misinterpreted and that he had not intended to argue that Australian history should be falsified.

They said he was arguing with the way in which some people were trying to impose guilt for the actions of earlier generations onto today's Australians. But Mr Howard's comments brought a flood of criticism, from the Opposition, the Democrats, church leaders, Aboriginal leaders and historians. The Opposition Leader, Mr Beazley, said Australians prided themselves on their historical honesty and he believed Australia's past on racial issues should be taught in schools with "absolute honesty". "It's passing strange when we're arguing on one front that Japan should confront the truth about affairs in World War II and, on another front, we should falsify our history," he said. Miss Lois O'Donoghue, who chairs the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, said the teaching of the true history of Australia had "never been intended to shame" non-Aboriginal people and called for "mutual understanding, not guilt".

She was "certain" Mr How ard did not mean the history books should be censored. "When people of Mr Howard's and my generation studied history, the only indigenous people who rated a mention were Jacky-Jacky and Bennelong," she said. "Aboriginal resistance to colonisation was denied and our culture and way of life was denigrated. "Surely, Mr Howard does not want a return to those times." The Leader of the Australian Democrats, Senator Kernot, a former history teacher, accused Mr Howard of fanning the "socially divisive" race issue, demanding to know why he was "hellbent on this course". The Catholic Church and the Uniting Church, which have apologised for their past racist behaviour in separating Aborig inal children from their parents, reacted strongly. The general secretary of the Uniting Church Board of Social Responsibility, the Rev Harry Herbert, said: "We must look at our history, warts and all, or we'll never move on."

The Sydney Morning Herald, October 26, 1996

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"Last Saturday I took the opportunity of showing off our Opera House to an overseas visitor by going to the afternoon session of Tales of Hoffman. Afterwards we strolled towards the Quay with the harbour glittering in the afternoon sun among a throng of tourists and theatre-goers. Suddenly a drunken mob of young, well-dressed Australian males charged through - yelling insults at the overseas visitors, particularly targeting the Asians.

About 10 of them started loudly singing "Australia's sons let us rejoice" while the rest hurled jeers at the confused and upset overseas victims. My own visitor was appalled. I was mortified as I am sure the vast majority of Australian would be. My fear is that by condoning the Pauline Hanson brand of "free speech" Australia is opening the door to bullying and prejudice masquerading as patriotism. If we expect the world to come to Sydney and be pleased with what they see in 2000, we'd better put a stop to this ugliness now."

The Weekend Australian October 12-13 1996

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THE SPEECH BY PAULINE HANSON THAT DIVIDED A NATION Copied from Hansard or go to the Australian Parliament House Homepage

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PM SHOULD OPPOSE RACISM SAY LIBERAL MP

PRIME Minister John Howard risked repeating his 1988 stumble on Asian immigration by failing to attack strongly the racist views of Independent MP Pauline Hanson, Liberal MP Helen Sham Ho said yesterday.

Mrs Sham Ho, who helped gain support from Sydney's Chinese community for Mr Howard before the last election, said she had written to the prime minister, calling on him to strongly and openly object to the racist comments in Ms Hanson's maiden speech to Parliament.

The NSW MP also said she was suspicious Mr Howard had failed to show leadership on the issue because he did not want to upset those who shared Ms Hanson's views.

I think there is a potential, there is a risk, that he is being perceived again that he is not supporting the migration program, although is non discriminatory, Mrs Sham Ho told ABC radio.

Asked if Mr Howard's reluctance to take a strong stand against Ms Hanson was because of a fear of upsetting those who supported her views, Mrs Sham Ho said: "Yes, I think there is a possibility. This is what my suspicion is." A spokesman for Mr Howard said later the prime minister was awaiting Mrs Sham Ho's correspondence.

In 1988, Mr Howard stumbled into the immigration debate by suggesting the intake of Asian migrants should be slowed because of concerns about the possible effect on Australian society.

Those remarks dogged Mr Howard for years and distanced Australia's Asian community from supporting the Coalition parties.

He apologized for his comments as part of a rapprochement with the ethnic lobby in the lead-up to the last election.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, October 8,1996

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READERS VIEW....

Howard has spoken out at last, but is it too little and too late?

The debate is, of course, not about free speech. If Howard was truly vehemently opposed to the Hanson-type views he should exercise his own right to freedom of speech and come out thumping the table, if that's what he truly believes.

But has he done that? He has patted the aggrieved on the head, recognizing the contribution made by Dr Victor Chang's racial group. Somewhat patronizing perhaps?

We already know of the significant contribution made in countries such as the US, where there are quite a few Nobel laureates of Asian descent

Howard should remember that leaders lead and politicians follow. If he want to be considered a leader he has to show leadership in this debate. The debate, while it is a moral issue (and those who choose to will ignore that), is also an economic imperative. We cannot now hope to cut off a few pigtails and bundle off a few excess Chinese miners without facing serious consequences. The world has changed. The yellow peril has not materialized but the perils of Pauline are real.

THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, October 12,1996

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'AN AUSSIE CIVIL WAR'

...Hanson's outrageous new race claim

CONTROVERSIAL Independent MP Pauline Hanson has warned that Australia is headed for civil war if "separatist" policies on migrants and Aborigines' continue. In an exclusive interview with The Sun-Herald, Ms Hanson warned that divisions between races in Australia could turn violent. "When you look at what is going on in Ireland, Bosnia,Rwanda-civil wars because of different races,different cultures-that's what I don't want to see in this country," she said. "Everyone should be treated the same. We have got to get together as one, otherwise we are going to end up like those other countries." Ms Hanson's comments were condemned as inflammatory and scare mongering by ALP members, including Opposition Leader Kim Beazley.

The interview took place before Ms Hanson eluded the media yesterday when she failed to turn up for a scheduled lecture to the Australia Reform Party. Ms Hanson had been due to address the group at Melbourne University, but students had planned to demonstrate against her views. The meeting was moved to a secret venue and the media was not informed. Defending herself against claims she is polarizing Australia,Ms Hanson said her real hope was that Australians could unite as Australians first and foremost. In her maiden speech to Parliament last month, Ms Hanson said Australia was "n danger of being swamped by Asians". She told The Sun-Herald she wanted all immigration to cease, at least temporarily and not just from Asia, but also suggested that Asian migrants were responsible for the growing crime wave. "We have a very big unemployment problem," Ms Hanson said. "We've got a drug problem with people out in the streets. "We've got crime that's on the increase and a lot of crime has got to do with (Asians)- if you look at places like Cabramatta. You have got the Chinese triads, the 5T gangs. You can't turn your back on the problem that is happening out there-it is happening and people know it." Ms Hanson denied she was racist and said she believed the same law should apply to all Australians, regardless of race.

"I think (immigrants) should take out citizenship after five years; compulsory citizenship," she declared. "People have to realise, and the Asians have to realize, that if they come out to this country they become part of the country. "If they don't give their undivided loyalty to this country, as far as I am concerned they can go back where they come from-and that's not just Asians, that's everyone." She is concerned about migrants not speaking English and opposes government policies encouraging migrants to speak their native languages which she claims discourages assimilation.

If people want to maintain their own culture and their own way of life, fine, I have no problem with that, but at their expense, not at taxpayers expense," Ms Hanson said. Shadow Immigration Minister Duncan Kerr said yesterday that Ms Hanson's claim were "plain wrong". He said since World War 11 the nation had absorbed about 3.5 million people without coming to violence. Mr Kerr said Ms Hanson was also talking "palpable nonsense about the extent of Asian migration". Asians represented about 4 percent of the population. Mr Beazley described Ms Hanson's remarks as "inflammatory". "If Ms Hanson is quoted accurately then those views are inflammatory and silly and wrong", he said. Mr Howard's office last night said there would be no comment on the latest remarks by Ms Hanson.

HEADLINE- THE SUN-HERALD 13 OCTOBER 1996

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ASIAN LEADERS BRACE FOR RACIST GROUNDSWELL

Asian community leaders believe Pauline Hanson's immigration stance has led to a rising tide of racial abuse. Victims include a 12-year-old schoolboy and the president of the Australian Chinese Community Association, Catherine Chung. "We are feeling very uneasy in this environment," Ms Chung said yesterday. "There is a rising tide of racism." Ms Chung was abused last week as she walked past the Art Gallery of NSW in the Domain. "Someone drove past in a car and yelled 'Go home chink,'" she said. The lawyer said Ms Hanson's comments had given racists a "licence to vilify" other people on grounds of race. "Six months ago there were occasional reports of blatant racism," said Ms Chung. "Now it is more explicit and more frequent and of serious concern to the community. "This is against the Australian concept of a fair go."

Ms Chung said a 12-year-old Asian boy was recently told by classmate at a North Shore school: "Your people are buying up all our land and property." Chinese community leaders plan to hold meetings next week to assess the fallout from Ms Hanson's comments. Ms Chung said it was important to acknowledge the rights of free speech,but equally important to exercise those rights with responsibility. "The Prime Minister should speak out to condemn such an insensitive and intolerable message which incites racial hatred," Ms Chung added. Jerry Kim, president of the Korean Society of Sydney,said his members were extremely worried by Ms Hanson's remarks.

He also confirmed a recent increase in the amount of racial abuse and "name calling" at Asians in Sydney. "Whenever there is concern over the economy or anything else, Koreans become scapegoats,"Mr Kim said. "Many people have been affected since her (Ms Hanson's) comments." The Korean community intended to voice its own opinion of the MP's speech and would also be holding meetings.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH October 14,l996

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Hanson's triad fears

The controversial federal independent MP Ms Pauline Hanson stepped up her attack on Asian immigration yesterday, linking Asian residents directly to crime and drug problems. And she called for the withdrawal of all funding which allowed immigrants to maintain their ethnic links,saying it was causing division in the Australian community. Ms Hanson,who also wants to abolish the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, has triggered a major racial debate with her claims in Parliament that Australia was in danger of being 'swamped' by Asians. She said yesterday her critics could not ignore the formation of Asian "ghettos" which destroyed traditional Australian values.

She told The Weekend Australian she had nothing against Asians already in Australia, but believed immigration should stop. "There are Chinese triad groups that are going around to schools and they are extorting money out of them," she said. "Another thing with Asians here is we have a big problem because 80 per cent of heroin comes form Asia, so there's a big problem." Asked if the heroin might come from Asia regardless of nation, she said: "Who knows? I haven't got a crystal ball." She claimed Asians would account for 30 per cent of the population by the turn of the century and half the population by 2040. But she could not explain the source of her figures. (The last census shows 4.1 per cent of the population was Asian-born in 1991 with the figure projected by Government to rise to 7 per cent by 2121.)

She praised the work ethic of Asian immigrants but said it applied across the board. "There's been a lot of hardworking people but I don't want to lose our culture, our way in this country," she said. She said the uproar since she called for the abandonment of multiculturalism had not changed her opinions. "We (should) not promote and pay for their way of life and their culture. If they (immigrants) want to maintain their culture, their way of life, they pay for it," she said. "We promote this by having interpreters, literature and also apparently they can maintain their driver's licence in their own mother tongue."

THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN OCTOBER 12-13,1996

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RACIST RESORT TO TAUNTS

A ONE-third rise in the number of complaints to the Anti-Discrimination Board pointed to a "souring of tolerance" in the nation, board president Chris Puplick said yesterday. Releasing the board's annual report,Mr Puplick said he was "deeply concerned" about the upsurge in complaints "by those most in need of protection" including Aborigines,non Anglo-Saxons, homosexuals and women. The report only contains figures up until June, but Mr Puplick said that in the last few weeks there had been a "disturbing increase" in the number of complaints from people who had been the victim of "racial taunts". "There have also been children abused from school by other children because of things they have seen on TV. "Aboriginal people have called us up saying: My child has been called a nigger'. "That has never happened before".

Mr Pulpick said the groups most likely to be subject to abuse were Aboriginals, Filipinos, ethnic Vietnamese and ethnic Chinese. "This is not about Italians or Greeks," he said. "In the ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese community people have been reporting to us-in some cases people who are second or third generation Australians- that hey have been told to 'Go home' or 'We don't want your type here." Mr Puplick said the annual report revealed that race-based complaints made up almost one quarter of this year's total complaints.

"What is particularly disturbing however is the increase by 25 per cent in the number of complaints from the Torres Strait Islanders," Mr Puplick said. "Race vilification complaints are also up by over 50 per cent in the past year." Of the 1939 complaints made to the ADB in l995-1996, 362 were about race discrimination and 83 were about racial vilification. Mr Pulpick said he was concerned that the recent debate about immigration and the flood of letters to newspapers and comment on talkback radio had "made a virtue out of intolerance". "Tolerance is almost being characterized as a weakness," he said.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 18 OCTOBER 1996

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Business:

In an interesting move, seeing Kerry Packer's considerable involvement in both businesses, Sean O'Hallaran, a manager at Optus Vision, was put in charge of Australis Media Limited.... replacing embattled Neil Gamble.

Packer owns 5% of Optus Vision and has options to acquire up to 33% of Australis.

What makes this a particularly interesting scenario is that Australis was, once upon a time, a takeover target by News Limited's Foxtel. In fact many of Galaxy TV's main channels (Australis' Pay TV product) provide content that is owned or provided by Foxtel through earlier agreements.

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Looks like rain and storms could follow later today. Thank God it is cooler!

Yesterday afternoon I took a swim in the pool to cool off... welcome relief.

Another day in the "big smoke"... sacrifices, oh the sacrifices!


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