Political makeweights

EDDIE McGuire and so-called reality TV shows such as Big Brother may think they're responsible for creating the idiot-celebrity genre, but politics must own that distinction.

Whether it be the young Jane Fonda in the 1960s, the old Jane Fonda now, or the late Screaming Lord Sutch, the breed has been around internationally for half a century. And it's starting to tell. Faded, jaded Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde has now followed Pink and actress Toni Collette to mouth a script written for PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, the group being sued in the US for killing animals and leaving their carcasses in shopping-mall rubbish bins). But will she continue to follow them and recant in a fortnight or two? On the domestic front, and making far smaller waves, the Aboriginal boxer Anthony Mundine and former Guantanamo Bay inmate Mamdouh Habib have said they will stand in next month's NSW election. Last August, Mundine, a former rugby league player, announced his plan to run for the Sydney inner-west seat of Marrickville as an independent in protest at the State Government's plans to reduce the amount of Aboriginal housing in Redfern. Redfern - home of The Block, the setting for former prime minister Paul Keating's 1992 keynote address on reconciliation, and the scene of an infamous riot three years ago - retains its reputation for drugs, violence and generations of largely unproductive welfare recipients. Mundine, who styles himself The Man, said he would run to challenge the ALP Government and, in particular, Labor hack Frank Sartor, a former lord mayor of Sydney and now Planning Minister, whom Mundine claims is a "racist bigot''. Mundine says he knows something about racism, having abandoned rugby league after receiving some disgusting comments. But whether he actually understands the issue any better than Hynde, Collette or Pink understand mulesing, is in serious doubt. A month after 9/11, The Man (or is it The Mouth?) emulated his idol Muhammad Ali, the boxer formerly known as Cassius Clay, and adopted Islam as his religion, reflecting the views of extremists with his tasteless remarks about the terrorist attacks on the US. He told Channel Nine's Today Show the US-led war on terrorism was "not our problem'' and he didn't support Australian troops being sent to fight in Iraq. "I really feel that it's not our problem,'' Mundine said. "They call it an act of terrorism, but if you can understand religion and our way of life, it's not about terrorism. "It's about fighting for God's laws, and America's brought it upon themselves what they've done in the history of time.'' Whatever that may mean. History shows that no nation has given more of everything in the cause of world peace since World War II than the US. Although he apologised for his ridiculous mouthings after some true boxing legends (including Ali's old mentor, Angelo Dundee) rejected his stupid stance, Mundine has apparently learnt little about causing offence. Last week, he released his first music video, filmed in the strife-torn Block, showing a burning Union Jack and a group of local residents tearing up a photo of Prime Minister John Howard and tossing it into a barrel of flames. According to Mundine, the stunt symbolised justice. "This ain't being racist,'' he said. "It's not signifying that cause. It's the politicians that are keeping us oppressed, not the public. "It signifies politicians and the structure of the Government and its foundations - what they have done to my people in the past and what they are still doing ... It's not to start a race riot. "The Union Jack - that's theGovernment, that's what it was built on, and it's a symbol of oppression. "It's a fight for justice. We have to stand up and be counted.'' The 31-year-old boxer, who is publicising his next bout against Australian Sam Soliman in Sydney on March 7, said he felt John Howard was "a puppet to the bigger brothers, who are England and America'', and that Australia should have a new flag to reflect its multiculturalism. Had the situation been reversed and a white athlete had burnt a divisive Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islands flag and held up the Australian flag, the politically correct would have been frothing at the mouth. Warren Mundine, the boxer's cousin, and Cathy Freeman make far better role models for young Aboriginal Australians than this publicity-seeking clown. Habib, the other calamitous candidate in the March election, is almost light relief in comparison. Habib has said he will stand on a platform emphasising schooling and the environment - oh, and for "the right of freedom of expression and in opposition to the anti-terrorist laws, state and federal; the right to fight racism; the end of the scapegoating of Aborigines, Muslims and migrants''. Thanks to the Mundines and Habibs of this election, Screaming Lord Sutch's Official Monster Raving Loony Party looks positively mainstream.