AN OPEN LETTER TO THE RT. HON. JOHN HOWARD, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA

Dear Prime Minister

Although I was not born in this country, I count myself an Australian, and am an Australian citizen. My children and grandchildren are Australians, too. I want them to be proud of their country and what it stands for and to be able to respect its politicians as honourable and concerned for the well-being of all its people. All of them, not just a minority. I want them to be encouraged to show compassion and forbearance for the less fortunate. And to have a vision of a positive future for Australia that we can all share and embrace.

I have always believed in the fair go, in supporting the less fortunate and in having a sense of pride in what Australia does. I am sure these are what you would include within the idea of “traditional Australian values”. Prime Minister, I must ask why it is that you seem so determined to alienate substantial groups within our country, and why your government seems so determined to create fear, suspicion and division?

I see children incarcerated in concentration camps, cover ups such as the children overboard case, total incompetence bordering on criminality in DMIA going unpunished (Cornelia Rau and Vivienne Solon to name but two), the invasion of Iraq on totally spurious grounds, and a willingness to sacrifice Iraqi citizens to support the US adventure, a stubborn refusal to say "sorry" to Aboriginal Australians and a total failure to establish any sort of workable Aboriginal policy, IR laws that will inevitably disadvantage the most vulnerable workers, a determination to sell off public assets regardless of the consequences, nonsensical laws relating to “sedition”, the determination to create fear and uncertainty about new arrivals because they may look different and worship God differently and much more. This is an Australia that I don’t like, and one that I fear will leave my children and grandchildren worse off in all respects. The “new Australia” looks hard, limited, inward-looking, fearful, lacking in compassion and driven by blind obeisance to globalisation and US hegemony. To hell with the market – what about the people its manipulation and corruption affects?

Will you read this? Almost certainly not. Will you care? Again almost certainly not. Will what I have said cause you to change? Of course not. But I am a voter; a swinging voter, and I voted for the Liberals in 1996, but which I now see as a shameful act. Will I do so again? Almost certainly not.

Please remember, Prime Minister, that the greatest rock can be worn away by continuing drips of water. This is but one drip; I am hopeful of a torrent, and will do what I can to encourage and stimulate the flow.

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