Laurie Forde
Mon, 10 Dec 2001 17:23:34 -0800
This is the problem with Howard---he is irredeeemable, but he cannot be left to go his own way, as we have seen with Aboriginal rights, and his use of racism during every election campaign that he has run.
It is a waste of time trying to educate or change him---- he must be relegated to a moral coventry, but he must also be attacked relentlessly----if he is merely ignored he is then in a position where he has free rein to harness support in the community, without being challenged----he is then setting the agenda on whatever issue he likes. You cannot ignore a cancer, and that is what Howard has proved to be to the Australian community. Laurie. ------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Trudy Bray" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "news-clip" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 10:16 AM Subject: The Age: PM 'beyond redemption' on refugees > THE AGE > PM 'beyond redemption' on refugees > > By MICHAEL GORDON > AND KERRY TAYLOR > Tuesday 11 December 2001 > > Groups trying to persuade the Howard Government to change its > stance on asylum seekers had wasted their time, former Human > Rights and Equal Opportunity Commissioner Chris Sidoti said > yesterday. > > The groups should now focus on community attitudes, he said. > > Mr Sidoti said human rights and refugee organisations had to admit they had failed "to > allay the fears that the government has generated" in the community. > > "Changing attitudes, changing values, are some of the most difficult challenges that > anyone faces, particularly when we are dealing with deep-seated, irrational fears," he > said. > > "I don't think we've got yet the answer to how those kinds of fears can be laid to rest, > but certainly we've wasted a hell of a lot of time in trying to persuade this government > to change its policy." > > > Speaking at the launch of the Australian > Human Rights Register, prepared by the > social justice arm of the Catholic Church in > Melbourne, Mr Sidoti said non-government > bodies had developed alternatives to the > policy of detaining asylum seekers. But the > government had invariably disregarded these > alternatives. > > "That was a miscalculation, a strategy that > has not worked," he said. "We should spend > more time talking to the community". > > He said his organisation, the Human Rights > Council of Australia, had determined "to let John Howard go his own way, because > he's irredeemable". > > The register accused the Howard Government of subjecting asylum seekers to violence > and encouraging xenophobia with its policy towards boat people. > > The report, based on submissions from non-government organisations, listed incidents > such as the use of the Special Air Services troops during the Tampa crisis this year as > an example of violence towards asylum seekers. > > Acting Immigration Minister Chris Ellison yesterday rejected the claims and said the > fact that migrants and refugees from more than 185 countries had been accepted over > the past few years showed that Australia was not xenophobic. > > Several speakers at the launch attacked the government's handling of refugee issues. > Former immigration minister Ian Macphee said failure to adopt a similar approach to > the Fraser government's response to Indochinese refugees "will haunt Australia > domestically and internationally for at least a generation" and become "one of the > bleakest chapters in our history". > > Mr Macphee said xenophobia reached its height in the recent election campaign, > causing Australians of Asian extraction to be frightened. > > Yet an increased population was essential for our survival, he said. > > "We need more skilled migrants, but many will think twice about moving to a > xenophobic society that denies basic human rights to refugees," he said. > > Actors for Refugees representative Tom Long said the key to persuading the Australian > community was to make known the personal stories and faces of people in detention > centres. > > Mr Long said the greatest challenge was to end the policy of placing children in > detention centres. > > "Let's get the kids out before the only stories they are able to tell are of being in > Australian jails," he said. > > The Refugee Council of Australia, Amnesty International and other refugee advocates > yesterday welcomed the register. > > They said Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock would be grilled over Australia's policy > at an international ministerial meeting in Geneva on the refugee convention tomorrow. > > Refugee advocate Marion Le said Mr Ruddock could face a hostile reception as the UN > had already raised concerns about the government's "Pacific solution" for asylum > seekers. > > The release of the register came as Nauru's cabinet was finalising its conditions to > accept more asylum seekers ahead of a meeting with Foreign Minister Alexander > Downer today. > > President Rene Harris said he was looking forward to the meeting but would not > discuss it. Mr Downer arrived on Nauru last night. > > - with MARK FORBES > > http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/2001/12/11/FFXQOAM41VC.html > > > ************************************************************************* > This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without > permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, > scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal > copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of > the copyright owner, except for "fair use." > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/ until 11 March, 2001 and Recoznettwo is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznettwo%40green.net.au/ from that date. This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use."