Michael Daley finds himself in a well-trodden pickle of cultural and social theory
NSW Opposition Leader Michael Daley admits his error in saying Asian immigrants were “taking the jobs” of young Sydneysiders, The Australian online, yesterday:
I’ve had better days and I take responsibility … I misspoke, I could have chosen my words more carefully and I’ve issued an unqualified apology.
John Howard, SBS, December 11 last year:
You should be able to vary the overall number without being accused of racism, or prejudice, or any other silly hysterical nonsense.
Howard, August 1988:
I do believe that if it is — in the eyes of some in the community — that it’s too great, it would be in our immediate-term interest and supporting of social cohesion if it were slowed down a little, so the capacity of the community to absorb it was greater.
Howard apologised for those comments and admits he was wrong, The Australian, May 2002:
“My instinct is that Asian-Australians are very much part of the community now. I think it (their integration) has been quicker. I just don’t hear people talking about it now, even as much as they did five years ago, and I have an electorate which is very Asian.” … In Lazarus Rising, Mr Howard admits his Asian immigration comments in Esperance in 1988 caused him “considerable damage”. “It was a case of having antagonised everybody.”
Historian Geoffrey Blainey, All for Australia, 1984:
(Multiculturalism tends to) emphasise the rights of ethnic minorities at the expense of the majority of Australians … (even though) people from the United Kingdom and Ireland form the dominant class of pre-war immigrants and the largest single group of postwar immigrants … (such a policy) with its emphasis on what is different and on the rights of the new minority rather than the old majority unnecessarily creates division and threatens national cohesion … The evidence is clear that many multicultural societies have failed and that the human cost of the failure has been high … We should think very carefully about the perils of converting Australia into a multicultural laboratory.
Pauline Hanson’s maiden speech to parliament, 1996:
I and most Australians want our immigration policy radically reviewed and that of multiculturalism abolished. I believe we are in danger of being swamped by Asians. Between 1984 and 1995, 40 per cent of all migrants coming into this country were of Asian origin. They have their own culture and religion, form ghettos and do not assimilate.
Rita Panahi, Herald Sun, yesterday:
Cultural warriors of the Left are using the Christchurch massacre to paint the (immigration) cut as pandering to racists. They want to impose ever greater restrictions on free speech, including, it seems, censoring debate on population policy.
Former race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane tweets, yesterday:
There was an opening this week to reset on racism and white supremacy. There could have been funding for an anti-racism campaign, strengthening of hate speech laws, a concerted no to race politics. Instead: a pivot to an immigration cut.
Panellist Sara Saleh, The Drum, ABC, Monday:
White supremacy doesn’t know any border, religion or colour. Australia’s system is propped up and enabled by politicians and media shock jocks that have made a political career out of Islamophobia.