by Geoff Kay
January 2, 2000
This is part of a series of articles covering the previous year. A year when One Nation went to sleep. I hope to be able show you; issues and opportunities that One Nation let slip by, opportunities for positive publicity and opportunities for building a more inclusive and positive rapport; within the Party and with the public.
SEP-NOV
NSW Council Election results.
The following One Nation members are now members of local councils in NSW.
Broken Hill...Tom Kennedy, Campbelltown...Bob Thompson, Bankstown...Lyn Abrahams, Dubbo...John Neville, Griffith...Peter Day, Coleambally...Ray Jones, Cowra...Colin Norton, Wentworth...Don McKinnon, Cherie Ribarits and Jim Macri.
Well... Not bad considering the last minute decision to actually do it. Even more went very close. Still... if certain members of the Executive had their way, it wouldn't have happened. Would we have done better if we had been better organised? Who knows.
The Referendum.
As you all know, there are two issues to vote on in the Referendum. The Preamble and the Changes to the Constitution to bring in; Malcolm Turnbull's Republic.
I will be brief and clear with what I am about to say. The issues are quite simple and both sides are equally guilty of muddying the waters.
1. The preamble is a shambles and inaccurate. Vote NO.
2. The changes to the Constitution are to bring about the Malcolm Turnbull model for a Republic. This model leaves the final choice of "Head of State" in the hands of our politicians. The current constitution does not even mention, a "Head of State". Currently the Queen acts strictly on advice from the Prime Minister. The Governor General in using "reserve powers", must obey "convention" and also acts on advice from the Prime Minister or other Ministers. Some people argue that the Queen is our "Head of State", others see the Governor General in this role. Based on the real facts, I would hazard to say, that the Prime Minister is actually our current "Head of State". Vote NO.
Well... Still nothing official from Head-office has reached our branch about the Referendum. It was left to branch members like myself to carry the debate.
Let me repeat... from head-office... NOT A WORD.
Media Watch...
A NEW VOICE???
"The EYE" is a new voice in the Australian media... the slogan emblazoned across the first issue is; "The EYE doesn't lie" . It purports to be brave enough to tell the truth and to be beholden to no-one.
Murdoch and Packer have no control or interests in it whatsoever. It is a fortnightly publication and is a very nicely presented package... But as for the "Truth", well that's a completely different story.
I suppose when I read that "The EYE" was published in Victoria, that I should have known what to expect... But one lives in hope and so I held my judgement until I had finished reading this new offering to the Australian public... heaven knows, we need a magazine, a voice, that will be brave enough to speak the truth. All Australia is waiting for someone in the media to have the courage to report the truth, to speak up as Pauline Hanson has about the concerns of the average Australian. Unfortunately, "The EYE", does not live up to its boast.
Instead it panders to Political Correctness and bases its arguments in false information and misconceptions. The Truth can be found, but one must have a balanced outlook and a broad knowledge base, for without knowledge there can be no truth. Unfortunately the reporters of "The EYE" lack both.
Here are 2 examples from "The EYE";
1. "How can we be self-confident about ourselves in a highly troubled region when we can't even sort out our own identity? And how can we hope to coexist in south-east Asia as a rich white country with a tiny population?"
As far as existing in south-east Asia is concerned...we don't have to because we are not in south-east Asia. When will the PC brigade and the elitists stop trying to tell us that we do? We are not part of Asia...
2. "Back beyond Indonesia's borders, we may secretly enjoy the opportunity to express our outrage at what has happened in East Timor, but we should not forget that we are also responsible. An external chorus, we demanded change and we demanded it immediately, ".
Well...generalisation and inaccuracy does not substitute for the truth. I don't know any one who secretly or openly enjoy anything about the Timor situation. As for change...immediately, the letter that John Howard sent to Mr Habibie asked for autonomy not independence and the vote and it's timing was an Indonesian decision.
A comment from an Indonesian to the reporter of the Asian article was; "Don't blame us, blame the military. And don't burn our flags!" Pity the reporter didn't tell this person that burning flags is not an Australian thing, (mind you they seem to have quite a supply of Australian flags to burn), and that the majority of Australians don't even give Indonesia any thought at all, let alone vilify them.
Well.. What did One Nation have to say? NOTHING.
Comment? NONE
Rebuttal? NONE
The Executive? They can't not know "The Eye" existed... Pauline was in it.
Opportunities Go Begging...
Going on 7 months and still no "maiden speech."
THE REFERENDUM
On the 6th of November Australians went to the polls yet again to exercise their democratic rights. This time they were voting on 2 proposals linked to the Australian Constitution.
Proposal 1 referred to changes to the Constitution that would enable Australia to become a Republic. This proposal was largely being pushed by the media and elites. Saturday night showed that this proposal was defeated. Nationally the vote went down 45% to 55%. Australia is still a Constitutional Monarchy. The reaction from the media and elites was the same as their reaction to Pauline Hanson and One Nation...they branded the population that didn't agree with them as uneducated and confused.
Proposal 2 was the Preamble, a short introduction to be attached to the front of the Constitution. These words were crafted by the Prime Minister with a little help from some friends. It was then amended by the Democrats and in particular Senator Aden Ridgeway. It became a chorus of Political Correctness and as such deserved to be defeated. It was. Nationally 45% to 55%.
The result was:Republic - NO Preamble - NO
Well... Funnily enough... when I checked the PHON Website about the referendum... Lo and behold... we actually did have a position on it, although an unofficial one. I found it in a David Oldfield release dated the 9th of October.
YES it Finally happened.
Tuesday 26th October 1999
David's speech actually went for 12 pages... quite a tome. (As an exercise in brevity, I cut it down to 2). Much has been said and denied about David's penchant for the Federal arena. But if you consider that the first 3 pages of his speech was concerned solely with his family history, and much of the rest padding, the content of what remains should give you an idea. Here are some excerpts....
It is of particular note that this was our first state election in NSW and our organisation was less than 2 years old and yet twice as many people chose One Nation than chose the Democrats or the Greens, therefore once again confirming our position as the third most popular political movement nationally and in NSW. The way for me to take up my place here was made possible by our organisation, Pauline Hanson's One Nation - its members and supporters have my thanks for all their efforts.
Public representation should, alongside the defence of country, be among the noblest and most worthy pursuits of all and yet the quality and decency and lack of genuine purpose on behalf of people coupled with self interest has brought politics into disrepute instead of elevating it in public service.
Members within a party should not be so stuck in their serfdom that time and time again they vote against what they know is fair, against what they know is right and against what they know the people who elected them would want, indeed, need. Well I say to you, I am proud to sit in this house as a representative of the people of NSW.
It is government action or inaction that determines the state of our affairs. It is government policies that determine the makeup of our society, the size and power of our police force, the assistance we give to those in need and the incentive we give to those who would build. It is government that decides how our money will be spent, which industries will be helped or destroyed, what hospitals will close and how long rapists and paedophiles will spend in gaol. Make no mistake, it is government that must take the blame for the ills that face us, if not for their failed policies, then certainly for the policies they have failed to introduce.
One Nation strongly supports a peoples' bank such as the original Commonwealth Bank, an initiative of the Fisher Labor government in 1911. Even if only in NSW, low interest development funding could be a reality if only Labor had not forgotten its roots.
We have a very clear problem with the current policy of race-based assistance, and believe strongly in the proposition that no group in society has a monopoly on hardship of any kind. We simply make the point, and I will make it very clearly: we do not support assistance on the divisive basis of race. We must have a fresh look at how to bring all Australians together, and not just be separate groups living in the same land.
I am sorry for the way Aboriginal Australians have suffered, just as I am sorry for any suffering that may have been avoided but no one group monopolises suffering, and guilt cannot be inherited. Let's stop the arguments of the past, accept what is here and together, welcome the positives of a future as one people. Let's promote being Australians today and tomorrow - one people, one flag, one set of rules, one nation, united by our acceptance of each other and of the common goal for us all to live a better life together.
Perhaps an even greater issue of division and the breakdown of our potential for social cohesion is the assault of the policy of Multiculturalism. We must as Australians live together as one people, and to do that requires acceptance, for to only tolerate leaves the door to resentment wide open. However multiculturalism tells people there is no need to fit in. In fact it divides us through the highlighting of differences. It dismisses the advantages of embracing a new life as an Australian and instead promotes the notion of simply bringing much of the life you wanted to escape with you. The policy consequences of multiculturalism's relationship with ethnic-related crime is very rightly a particular concern for the people of NSW. In the overwhelming majority of cases, when judged by obvious standards, the places most immigrants have come from fall short in terms of modern social development. We concern ourselves with democracy, freedom, lifestyle, justice, opportunity, public safety and a whole range of rights which are virtually non-existent in many other places. We fail to place the appropriate value on what we have to offer and as a consequence much of what has been given has failed to strike the right note of appreciation. The fact is people come to Australia to have a better life than their country offers and the more we encourage Multiculturalism, the more we are making Australia like all the places people want to leave.
My concerns and those of One Nation have been, and are, for all issues to be dealt with from a Nationalistic standpoint - the interests of the Australian people always coming first, second and third. Recent and clandestine treaties such as the Multilateral Agreement on Investment were to a degree exposed by One Nation as damaging to Australians. The somewhat less known Lima Declaration, embraced by both major parties since its inception in the early seventies, has lain unseen as its agenda stripped Australia of jobs through policies that caused the export of much of our manufacturing. Whilst the Lima Declaration was an unsigned document, adopting its aim of international redistribution of manufacturing and hence, international redistribution of employment, as an example, caused the closure of BHP in Newcastle and the annihilation of manufacturing jobs in industries all over NSW and beyond. All our primary producers are left to compete with countries whose governments overcome the so-called "level playing field" through direct subsidies, quotas and in many cases import protections just like the ones the Australian government is removing. The farming subsidies in America, Japan, Korea and the European Union often make-up more than half of their farmers income. In the race to devastate our own production, to destroy our own farmers, their families, all the associated jobs and community services including access to health in country towns, Australia would easily win gold - a sad indictment on the new millennium and the coming year of the Olympics. There are many positive things that governments could do for rural development in NSW. One of the best examples is the Parkes Inland Marketing Corporation. This marvellous initiative, backed by 53 local Councils, needs only $63 million for basic storage facilities and an airport that will allow fresh Australian produce the fastest possible means of export - "gate to plate". It is estimated the IMC project will create 10,000 jobs for a cost equivalent to half the aid, each and every year, given to Indonesia, of all places.
We once fought communism and its centralisation of wealth and power - a system where the smallest number of people controlled everyone and everything and individuality and personal ambition was considered a danger to the state. We now see the same social product emerging by way of transnational corporations - foreign-owned, foreign-resourced and supported by the Judases of Australian public life. Our way of life has not faced a greater threat than Globalisation, as it is truly almost the unseen enemy.
Well... As you can see, the highlighted sections all involve National issues... (The People's Bank, Aboriginals, Multiculturalism, Globalisation)... perhaps David had trouble finding enough State issues to speak on. Issues like; Health, Transport, Privatisation... etc.
Did the earth move for you? Were the foundations of the State government rocked? perhaps they were..."shaken but not stirred". On the Richter scale of Political Speeches; Pauline's was a 9, David's unfortunately, was a 1. Fizzer? You be the judge.
After the Referendum.
Well, the Referendum is over... but don't be fooled into thinking the Republic issue is dead and buried. It isn't. In fact the result, in which the proposition was only defeated by 10% means that it will be back... probably sooner than later. Perhaps at the next Federal election... if not... the one after.
Personally I am for Constitutional change. So if the Republic of Australia is an inevitability... What are we going to do about it? If we don't want something we can't live with, we have to be in the race. We have to contribute to the debate.So here are some things to think about....
There are many things which need to be solved... Solutions that need to be found. We are One Nation. We can do this.
Well... Maybe we can't... handicapped as we seem to be with the "batting average" of our current Leadership. I wouldn't be holding my breath.
How can our State Leaders be so out of touch? Both Bob Carr and Kerry Chikarovski backed the "YES" campaign, last weekend. How can the Media be so out of touch? Well I guess we all know the answer to that one.
Well... As you could probably guess. NO response from One Nation. Or from our much esteemed State Senator.
"What are they doing?" Who knows.
OCTOBER 26TH 1999, THE DAY THAT DAVID OLDFIELD EXPLODED ONTO THE POLITICAL SCENE IN N.S.W. WELL... OK. IT WAS MORE OF A PFFFFFT. BUT TO PARAPHRASE DAVID; "IT'S NOT EVERYDAY THAT ONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET ONE'S FAMILY HISTORY ENTERED INTO PARLIAMENTARY RECORD." NICE ONE DAVE... WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT.
Geoff