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Setting the Tone

John Howard has over the years set a tone in Australia which we are now seeing bubble up.

Given the opportunity to "jump" on Pauline Hanson's comments in her maiden speech in Federal Parliament years ago all that our PM could say was that she was entitled to speak her mind. In fact, the Liberal Party has moved rather close to adopting some of the policies of the One Nation Party. Then, there has been Howard's attitude to the aboriginal community and his refusal to acknowledge the use of the word "multiculturalism".

Add to the above
- the Tampa affair and the PM's statements at the time
- the actions of Howard and Ruddock during the recent arrests of alleged
terrorists
- Howard's seeming endorsement of Alan Jones by appearing on Jones' program -
notwithstanding Jones'racist and obnoxious views about minorities
and the die is caste that, hey, perhaps it is ok to be intolerant and totally without understanding about minorities and people who aren't WASPs.

The seeds have been sown. It is in Australia's critical interests to ensure that this whole Cronulla "thing" and all the ramifications of it are stopped - dead in its tracks.

For an interesting perspective on the events in Cronulla by a former Sydney policeman see this piece in The Australian.

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