19th March 1998
Att: The Editor
South Burnett Times
Dear Sir,
I have noted the recent arrival of Virginia Clarke as the ALP's hopeful for the federal seat of Blair. I am not surprised.
What voters in this seat need to be aware of is the role that this self-same lady has played in trying to disrupt One Nation meetings and, indeed, by association threaten to assault Pauline Hanson as reported in the Queensland Times on July 17 last year.
The background to this statement is as follows. One Nation had a plant at a Brisbane Anti-Racism Campaign (ARC) meeting on 14th July 1997. It was attended, I am told, by Virginia Clarke reported as the head of the (Ipswich) ARC in Oxley (see page 123 the book 'Hansonism, Trick or Treat' by Don Veitch).
One of the issues discussed by ARC at ACTU house in Peel street, Brisbane on that day was recorded as follows: They (ARC) want to get someone (and there was a volunteer - a Hispanic ethnic) to break through the crowd and physically assault her. It was felt that in order to do this and not to have much repercussion in the media (on this committee) it should only be attempted when they can organise more protesters, ie over 500, as a "few loose cannons" are more significant among a small group than a much larger one.
The fact is that Ms Clarke's association with ARC is an issue that she needs to publicly address with the conservative voters of Blair who have, on occasion been the victims of ARC protesters. She has never admitted publicly to being associated with this campaign which had just one objective in mind - to close down One Nation and damage the democratic process in Australia.
This comment is best demonstrated by the actions of another of the (Brisbane-based) ARC members, Mr Brian Webb, who I personally overheard saying through a megaphone at the One Nation Prosper Australia rally on the 4th October 1997: "We should go through the police lines, let's cut through the police lines. Let's go in through the doors."
Shortly after saying this thirteen people were arrested by the police who had been sent to protect One Nation guests who had assembled to hear what Pauline Hanson had to say. There can be no excuse, no way out for Ms Clarke she has been tarred by association with this ALP front which staged disgraceful, violent protests in a most un-Australian manner normally reserved to infighting in the trade union movement.
I challenge the ALP's candidate for Blair to refute my allegation that she was closely involved with the ARC and this drive to usurp democracy.
Scott Balson, Karana Downs
Note, Mrs Clarke admitted her involvement with ARC in a letter to the Queensland Times some weeks later.