RACISM IN AUSTRALIA!

The Prime Minister has responded to widespread criticism ofhis claim that schools are teaching a wrong view of Australia's racial historyby saying that he wanted to take a more optimistic view of Australia's historythan 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 optimisticview of our present and I certainly take a more optimistic view of our future,"he told a University of Sydney graduation ceremony yesterday. Mr Howarddid not repeat his controversial comments of the previous day that Australianswere insulted to be told Australia had a racist, bigoted past and that itwas wrong for this to be taught in schools. Officials in the Prime Minister'soffice claimed yesterday that Mr Howard's comments about race had been misinterpretedand that he had not intended to argue that Australian history should befalsified.
They said he was arguing with the way in which some people were trying toimpose 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 OppositionLeader, Mr Beazley, said Australians prided themselves on their historicalhonesty and he believed Australia's past on racial issues should be taughtin schools with "absolute honesty". "It's passing strangewhen we're arguing on one front that Japan should confront the truth aboutaffairs 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 StraitIslander Commission, said the teaching of the true history of Australiahad "never been intended to shame" non-Aboriginal people and calledfor "mutual understanding, not guilt".
She was "certain" Mr How ard did not mean the history books shouldbe censored. "When people of Mr Howard's and my generation studiedhistory, the only indigenous people who rated a mention were Jacky-Jackyand Bennelong," she said. "Aboriginal resistance to colonisationwas denied and our culture and way of life was denigrated. "Surely,Mr Howard does not want a return to those times." The Leader of theAustralian Democrats, Senator Kernot, a former history teacher, accusedMr Howard of fanning the "socially divisive" race issue, demandingto know why he was "hellbent on this course". The Catholic Churchand the Uniting Church, which have apologised for their past racist behaviourin 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 andall, or we'll never move on."

"Last Saturday I took theopportunity of showing off our Opera House to an overseas visitor by goingto the afternoon session
of Tales of Hoffman. Afterwards we strolledtowards the Quay with the harbour glittering in the afternoon sun amonga throng
of tourists and theatre-goers. Suddenly adrunken mob of young, well-dressed Australian males charged through - yellinginsults at the overseas visitors, particularly targeting the Asians.

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

MrACTING SPEAKER--Before I call the honourable member for Oxley, Iremind the House that this is the honourable member's first speech. I askthe House to extend to her the usual courtesies.

MsHANSON (Oxley) (5.15 p.m.)--Mister Acting Speaker, in making myfirst speech in this place, I congratulate you on your election and wishto say how proud I
am to be here as the Independent member for Oxley. I comehere not as a polished politician but as a woman who has had her
fair share of life's knocks.
My view on issues is based on commonsense, and my experienceas a mother of four children, as a sole parent, and as a
businesswoman running a fish and chip shop. I won the seatof Oxley largely on an issue that has resulted in me being called a
racist. That issue related to my comment that Aboriginalsreceived more benefits than non-Aboriginals.
We now have a situation where a type of reverse racism isapplied to mainstream Australians by those who promote political
correctness and those who control the various taxpayer funded"industries" that flourish in our society servicing Aboriginals,
multiculturalists and a host of other minority groups. Inresponse to my call for equality for all Australians, the most noisy
criticism came from the fat cats, bureaucrats and the do-gooders.They screamed the loudest because they stand to lose the
most - their power, money and position, all funded by ordinaryAustralian taxpayers.
Present governments are encouraging separatism in Australiaby providing opportunities, land, moneys and facilities available
only to Aboriginals. Along with millions of Australians,I am fed up to the back teeth with the inequalities that are being
promoted by the government and paid for by the taxpayerunder the assumption that Aboriginals are the most disadvantaged
people in Australia. I do not believe that the colour ofone's skin determines whether you are disadvantaged. As Paul Hasluck
said in parliament in October 1955 when he was Ministerfor Territories:
The distinction I make is this. A social problem is onethat concerns the way in
which people live together in one society. A racial problemis a problem which
confronts two different races who live in two separatesocieties, even if those
societies are side by side. We do not want a societyin Australia in which one
group enjoy one set of privileges and another group enjoyanother set of
privileges.
Hasluck's vision was of a single society in which racialemphases were rejected and social issues addressed. I totally agree with
him, and so would the majority of Australians.
But, remember, when he gave his speech he was talking aboutthe privileges that white Australians were seen to be enjoying
over Aboriginals. Today, 41 years later, I talk about theexact opposite - the privileges Aboriginals enjoy over other
Australians. I have done research on benefits availableonly to Aboriginals and challenge anyone to tell me how Aboriginals are
disadvantaged when they can obtain 3 and 5 % housing loansdenied to non-Aboriginals.
This nation is being divided into black and white, and thepresent system encourages this. I am fed up with being told, "Thisis
our land." Well, where the hell do I go? I was bornhere, and so were my parents and children. I will work beside anyone and
they will be my equal but I draw the line when told I mustpay and continue paying for something that happened over 200 years
ago. Like most Australians, I worked for my land; no-onegave it to me.
Apart from the $40 million spent so far since Mabo on nativetitle claims, the government has made available $1 billion for
Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders as compensationfor land they cannot claim under native title. Bear in mind that the $40
million spent so far in native title has gone into the pocketsof grateful lawyers and consultants. Not one native title has been
granted as I speak.
The majority of Aboriginals do not want handouts becausethey realise that welfare is killing them. This quote says it all:
If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day. If youteach him how to fish you
feed him for a lifetime.
Those who feed off the Aboriginal industry do not want tosee things changed. Look at the Council for Aboriginal
Reconciliation. Members receive $290 a day sitting allowanceand $320 a day travelling allowance, and most of these people
also hold other very well paid positions. No wonder theydid not want to resign recently!
Reconciliation is everyone recognising and treating eachother as equals, and everyone must be responsible for their own
actions. This is why I am calling for ATSIC to be abolished.It is a failed, hypocritical and discriminatory organisation that has
failed dismally the people it was meant to serve. It willtake more than Senator Herron's surgical skills to correct the terminal
mess it is in. Anyone with a criminal record can, and does,hold a position with ATSIC. I cannot hold my position as a
politician if I have a criminal record - once again, twosets of rules.
If politicians continue to promote separatism in Australia,they should not continue to hold their seats in this parliament. They
are not truly representing all Australians, and I call onthe people to throw them out. To survive in peace and harmony, united
and strong, we must have one people, one nation, one flag.
The greatest cause of family breakdown is unemployment.This country of ours has the richest mineral deposits in the world and
vast rich lands for agriculture and is surrounded by oceansthat provide a wealth of seafood, and yet we are $190 billion in debt
with an interest bill that is strangling us.
Youth unemployment between the ages of 15 to 24 runs at25 % and is even higher in my electorate of Oxley. Statistics, by
cooking the books, say that Australia's unemployment isat 8.6 %, or just under one million people. If we disregard that one
hour's work a week classifies a person as employed, thenthe figure is really between 1.5 million and 1.9 million unemployed.
This is a crisis that recent governments have ignored becauseof a lack of will. We are regarded as a Third World country with
First World living conditions. We have one of the highestinterest rates in the world, and we owe more money per capita than
any other country. All we need is a nail hole in the bottomof the boat and we're sunk.
In real dollar terms, our standard of living has droppedover the past 10 years. In the 1960s, our wages increase ran at 3 %
and unemployment at 2 %. Today, not only is there no wageincrease, we have gone backwards and unemployment is officially
8.6 %. The real figure must be close to 12 to 13 %.
I wish to comment briefly on some social and legal problemsencountered by many of my constituents - problems not restricted
to just my electorate of Oxley. I refer to the social andfamily upheaval created by the Family Law Act and the ramifications of
that act embodied in the child support scheme. The FamilyLaw Act, which was the child of the disgraceful Senator Lionel
Murphy, should be repealed. It has brought death, miseryand heartache to countless thousands of Australians. Children are
treated like pawns in some crazy game of chess.
The child support scheme has become unworkable, very unfairand one sided. Custodial parents can often profit handsomely at
the expense of a parent paying child support, and in manycases the non-custodial parent simply gives up employment to
escape the, in many cases, heavy and punitive financialdemands. Governments must give to all those who have hit life's hurdles
the chance to rebuild and have a future.
We have lost all our big Australian industries and icons,including Qantas when it sold 25 % of its shares and a controlling
interest to British Airways. Now this government wants tosell Telstra, a company that made a $1.2 billion profit last year and
will make a $2 billion profit this year. But, first, theywant to sack 54,000 employees to show better profits and share prices.
Anyone with business sense knows that you do not sell offyour assets especially when they are making money. I may be only
"a fish and chip shop lady", but some of theseeconomists need to get their heads out of the textbooks and get a job inthe real
world. I would not even let one of them handle my groceryshopping.
Immigration and multiculturalism are issues that this governmentis trying to address, but for far too long ordinary Australians
have been kept out of any debate by the major parties. Iand most Australians want our immigration policy radically reviewed
and that of multiculturalism abolished. I believe we arein danger of being swamped by Asians. Between 1984 and 1995, 40 %
of all migrants coming into this country were of Asian origin.They have their own culture and religion, form ghettos and do not
assimilate. Of course, I will be called racist but, if Ican invite whom I want into my home, then I should have the right to havea
say in who comes into my country. A truly multiculturalcountry can never be strong or united. The world is full of failed and
tragic examples, ranging from Ireland to Bosnia to Africaand, closer to home, Papua New Guinea. America and Great Britain
are currently paying the price.
Arthur Calwell was a great Australian and Labor leader,and it is a pity that there are not men of his stature sitting on the oppositionbenches today. Arthur Calwell said:
Japan, India, Burma, Ceylon and every new African nationare fiercely
anti-white and anti-one another. Do we want or need anyof these people here? I am one red-blooded Australian who says no and whospeaks for 90 % of Australians.
I have no hesitation in echoing the words of Arthur Calwell.
There is light at the end of the tunnel and there aresolutions. If this government wants to be fair dinkum, then it must stop
kowtowing to financial markets, international organisations,world bankers, investment companies and big business people. The
Howard government must become visionary and be preparedto act, even at the risk of making mistakes.
In this financial year we will be spending at least $1.5billion on foreign aid and we cannot be sure that this money will be
properly spent, as corruption and mismanagement in manyof the recipient countries are legend. Australia must review its
membership and funding of the UN, as it is a little likeATSIC on a grander scale, with huge tax-free American dollar salaries,
duty-free luxury cars and diplomatic status.
The World Health Organisation has a lot of its medical expertssitting in Geneva while hospitals in Africa have no drugs and
desperate patients are forced to seek medication on theblack market. I am going to find out how many treaties we have signed
with the UN, have them exposed and then call for their repudiation.The government should cease all foreign aid immediately
and apply the savings to generate employment here at home.
Abolishing the policy of multiculturalism will save billionsof dollars and allow those from ethnic backgrounds to join mainstream
Australia, paving the way to a strong, united country. Immigrationmust be halted in the short-term so that our dole queues are
not added to by, in many cases, unskilled migrants not fluentin the English language. This would be one positive step to rescue
many young and older Australians from a predicament whichhas become a national disgrace and crisis. I must stress at this
stage that I do not consider those people from ethnic backgroundscurrently living in Australia anything but first-class citizens,
provided of course that they give this country their full,undivided loyalty.
The government must be imaginative enough to become involved,in the short-term at least, in job creating projects that will
help establish the foundation for a resurgence of nationaldevelopment and enterprise. Such schemes would be the building of
the Alice Springs to Darwin railway line, new roads andports, water conservation, reafforestation and other sensible and
practical environmental projects.
Therefore I call for the introduction of national servicefor a period of 12 months, compulsory for males and females upon
finishing year 12 or reaching 18 years of age. This couldbe a civil service with a touch of military training, because I do not feel
we can go on living in a dream world forever and a day believingthat war will never touch our lives again.
The government must do all it can to help reduce interestrates for business. How can we compete with Japan, Germany and
Singapore, who enjoy rates of two %, 5.5 % and 3.5 % respectively?Reduced tariffs on foreign goods that compete with local
products seem only to cost Australians their jobs. We mustlook after our own before lining the pockets of overseas countries
and investors at the expense of our living standards andfuture.
Mister Acting Speaker, time is running out. We may haveonly 10 to 15 years left to turn things around. Because of our
resources and our position in the world, we will not havea say because neighbouring countries such as Japan, with 125 million
people; China, with 1.2 billion people; India, with 846million people; Indonesia, with 178 million people; and Malaysia, with
20 million people are well aware of our resources and potential.Wake up, Australia, before it is too late. Australians need and
want leaders who can inspire and give hope in difficulttimes. Now is the time for the Howard government to accept the
challenge.
Mister Acting Speaker, everything I have said is relevantto my electorate of Oxley, which is typical of mainstream Australia. I
do have concerns for my country and I am going to do mybest to speak my mind and stand up for what I believe in. As an
independent I am confident that I can look after the needsof the people of Oxley and I will always be guided by their advice. It
is refreshing to be able to express my views without havingto toe a party line. It has got me into trouble on the odd occasion,
but I am not going to stop saying what I think. I considermyself just an ordinary Australian who wants to keep this great
country strong and independent, and my greatest desire isto see all Australians treat each other as equals as we travel together
towards the new century.
I will fight hard to keep my seat in this place, but thatwill depend on the people who sent me here. Mister Acting Speaker, I
thank you for your attention and trust that you will notthink me presumptuous if I dedicate this speech to the people of Oxley
and those Australians who have supported me. I salute themall.

PRIME Minister John Howard riskedrepeating his 1988 stumble on Asian immigration by failing to attack stronglythe racist
views of Independent MP Pauline Hanson, LiberalMP Helen Sham Ho said yesterday.
Mrs Sham Ho, who helped gain support fromSydney's Chinese community for Mr Howard before the last election, saidshe
had written to the prime minister, callingon him to strongly and openly object to the racist comments in Ms Hanson'smaiden
speech to Parliament.
The NSW MP also said she was suspicious MrHoward had failed to show leadership on the issue because he did not wantto
upset those who shared Ms Hanson's views.
I think there is a potential, there is arisk, that he is being perceived again that he is not supporting the migrationprogram,
although is non discriminatory, Mrs ShamHo told ABC radio.
Asked if Mr Howard's reluctance to take astrong stand against Ms Hanson was because of a fear of upsetting thosewho
supported her views, Mrs Sham Ho said: "Yes,I think there is a possibility. This is what my suspicion is." A spokesmanfor Mr
Howard said later the prime minister wasawaiting Mrs Sham Ho's correspondence.
In 1988, Mr Howard stumbled into the immigrationdebate by suggesting the intake of Asian migrants should be slowed
because of concerns about the possible effecton Australian society.
Those remarks dogged Mr Howard for yearsand distanced Australia's Asian community from supporting the Coalitionparties.
He apologized for his comments as part ofa rapprochement with the ethnic lobby in the lead-up to the last election.

The debate is, of course, notabout free speech. If Howard was truly vehemently opposed to the Hanson-typeviews he should
exercise his own right to freedom of speechand come out thumping the table, if that's what he truly believes.
But has he done that? He has patted the aggrievedon the head, recognizing the contribution made by Dr Victor Chang's racial
group. Somewhat patronizing perhaps?
We already know of the significant contributionmade in countries such as the US, where there are quite a few Nobel laureates
of Asian descent
Howard should remember that leaders leadand politicians follow. If he want to be considered a leader he has to show
leadership in this debate. The debate, whileit is a moral issue (and those who choose to will ignore that), is alsoan economic
imperative. We cannot now hope to cut offa few pigtails and bundle off a few excess Chinese miners without facingserious
consequences. The world has changed. Theyellow peril has not materialized but the perils of Pauline are real.

CONTROVERSIAL Independent MPPauline Hanson has warned that Australia is headed for civil war if "separatist"policies
on migrants and Aborigines' continue. Inan 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-civilwars
because of different races,different cultures-that'swhat I don't want to see in this country," she said. "Everyoneshould be
treated the same. We have got to get togetheras one, otherwise we are going to end up like those other countries."Ms
Hanson's comments were condemned as inflammatoryand scare mongering by ALP members, including Opposition Leader
Kim Beazley.
The interview took place before Ms Hansoneluded the media yesterday when she failed to turn up for a scheduled lectureto
the Australia Reform Party. Ms Hanson hadbeen due to address the group at Melbourne University, but students hadplanned
to demonstrate against her views. The meetingwas moved to a secret venue and the media was not informed. Defending
herself against claims she is polarizingAustralia,Ms Hanson said her real hope was that Australians could uniteas Australians
first and foremost. In her maiden speechto Parliament last month, Ms Hanson said Australia was "n danger ofbeing swamped
by Asians". She told The Sun-Heraldshe wanted all immigration to cease, at least temporarily and not just fromAsia, but also
suggested that Asian migrants were responsiblefor the growing crime wave. "We have a very big unemployment problem,"Ms
Hanson said. "We've got a drug problemwith people out in the streets. "We've got crime that's on the increaseand a lot of
crime has got to do with (Asians)- if youlook at places like Cabramatta. You have got the Chinese triads, the 5Tgangs. You
can't turn your back on the problem thatis happening out there-it is happening and people know it." Ms Hansondenied she
was racist and said she believed the samelaw should apply to all Australians, regardless of race.
"I think (immigrants) should take outcitizenship after five years; compulsory citizenship," she declared."People have to realise,
and the Asians have to realize, that if theycome out to this country they become part of the country. "If theydon't give their
undivided loyalty to this country, as faras I am concerned they can go back where they come from-and that's not justAsians,
that's everyone." She is concerned aboutmigrants not speaking English and opposes government policies encouragingmigrants
to speak their native languages which sheclaims discourages assimilation.
If people want to maintain their own cultureand their own way of life, fine, I have no problem with that, but at theirexpense,
not at taxpayers expense," Ms Hansonsaid. Shadow Immigration Minister Duncan Kerr said yesterday that Ms Hanson'sclaim
were "plain wrong". He said sinceWorld War 11 the nation had absorbed about 3.5 million people without comingto violence.
Mr Kerr said Ms Hanson was also talking "palpablenonsense about the extent of Asian migration". Asians represented about4
percent of the population. Mr Beazley describedMs Hanson's remarks as "inflammatory". "If Ms Hanson is quotedaccurately
then those views are inflammatory and sillyand wrong", he said. Mr Howard's office last night said there wouldbe no comment
on the latest remarks by Ms Hanson.

Asian community leaders believePauline Hanson's immigration stance has led to a rising tide of racial abuse.Victims include a
12-year-old schoolboy and the president ofthe Australian Chinese Community Association, Catherine Chung. "Weare feeling
very uneasy in this environment," MsChung said yesterday. "There is a rising tide of racism." Ms Chungwas abused last week
as she walked past the Art Gallery of NSWin the Domain. "Someone drove past in a car and yelled 'Go home chink,'"she
said. The lawyer said Ms Hanson's commentshad given racists a "licence to vilify" other people on groundsof race. "Six
months ago there were occasional reportsof blatant racism," said Ms Chung. "Now it is more explicit andmore frequent and of
serious concern to the community. "Thisis against the Australian concept of a fair go."
Ms Chung said a 12-year-old Asian boy wasrecently told by classmate at a North Shore school: "Your people arebuying up
all our land and property." Chinesecommunity leaders plan to hold meetings next week to assess the falloutfrom Ms Hanson's
comments. Ms Chung said it was importantto acknowledge the rights of free speech,but equally important to exercisethose
rights with responsibility. "The PrimeMinister should speak out to condemn such an insensitive and intolerablemessage 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 theamount 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 beenaffected
since her (Ms Hanson's) comments." TheKorean community intended to voice its own opinion of the MP's speech andwould
also be holding meetings.

The controversial federal independentMP Ms Pauline Hanson stepped up her attack on Asian immigration yesterday,linking
Asian residents directly to crime and drugproblems. And she called for the withdrawal of all funding which allowedimmigrants
to maintain their ethnic links,saying itwas causing division in the Australian community. Ms Hanson,who also wantsto abolish
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderCommission, has triggered a major racial debate with her claims in Parliamentthat
Australia was in danger of being 'swamped'by Asians. She said yesterday her critics could not ignore the formationof Asian
"ghettos" which destroyed traditionalAustralian values.
She told The Weekend Australian she had nothingagainst Asians already in Australia, but believed immigration should stop.
"There are Chinese triad groups thatare going around to schools and they are extorting money out of them,"she said. "Another
thing with Asians here is we have a big problembecause 80 per cent of heroin comes form Asia, so there's a big problem."
Asked if the heroin might come from Asiaregardless of nation, she said: "Who knows? I haven't got a crystalball." She claimed
Asians would account for 30 per cent of thepopulation by the turn of the century and half the population by 2040. Butshe
could not explain the source of her figures.(The last census shows 4.1 per cent of the population was Asian-born in1991 with
the figure projected by Government to riseto 7 per cent by 2121.)
She praised the work ethic of Asian immigrantsbut said it applied across the board. "There's been a lot of hardworkingpeople
but I don't want to lose our culture, ourway in this country," she said. She said the uproar since she calledfor 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 theirculture, their way of life, they pay for it," she said. "We promotethis by having
interpreters, literature and also apparentlythey can maintain their driver's licence in their own mother tongue."

A ONE-third rise in the numberof complaints to the Anti-Discrimination Board pointed to a "souringof tolerance" in the nation,
board president Chris Puplick said yesterday.Releasing the board's annual report,Mr Puplick said he was "deeplyconcerned"
about the upsurge in complaints "bythose most in need of protection" including Aborigines,non Anglo-Saxons,homosexuals
and women. The report only contains figuresup until June, but Mr Puplick said that in the last few weeks there hadbeen a
"disturbing increase" in the numberof complaints from people who had been the victim of "racial taunts"."There have also been
children abused from school by other childrenbecause of things they have seen on TV. "Aboriginal people have calledus up
saying: My child has been called a nigger'."That has never happened before".
Mr Pulpick said the groups most likely tobe subject to abuse were Aboriginals, Filipinos, ethnic Vietnamese and ethnic
Chinese. "This is not about Italiansor Greeks," he said. "In the ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese communitypeople have been
reporting to us-in some cases people whoare second or third generation Australians- that hey have been told to 'Gohome' or
'We don't want your type here." Mr Puplicksaid the annual report revealed that race-based complaints made up almostone
quarter of this year's total complaints.
"What is particularly disturbing howeveris the increase by 25 per cent in the number of complaints from the TorresStrait
Islanders," Mr Puplick said. "Racevilification 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 recentdebate about immigration and the flood of letters to newspapers and comment
on talkback radio had "made a virtueout of intolerance". "Tolerance is almost being characterizedas a weakness," he said.

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