This island nation, built on immigration, has embarked on a frenzy of self-analysis after being labelled as such by some international commentators following last weekend’s election.
Conservative Prime Minister John Howard was re-elected for a third term with an increased majority largely on the back of his policy of turning away a rising tide of boat people, a populist hardline supported by the opposition Labour party.
In the post-election aftermath, the racist tag has left Australia’s 19.3 million people examining why a majority of a nation, where one in four people were born overseas, applauded the tough stance on mainly Middle Eastern and Afghan boat people.
Was it the race or religion of the 5,000 unwanted migrants arriving each year which caused such outrage, or was it, as Howard argues, the fact they arrive illegally, violating Australia’s borders and queue jumping other refugees?
Political analyst Nick Economou from Melbourne’s Monash University argues it was not racism sparking this negative reaction to boat people but Australians’ fear of outsiders, bred from being an island nation, and strong conservatism.
For although Australians are widely regarded as easy going, the majority are socially conservative — happy to be a monarchy, favouring traditional family values and resistant to change.
“I see a link between xenophobia and social conservatism as they’re both based on fear — fear of the liberation of ideas or behaviour and of challenges from outside,” Economou said.
AUSTRALIANS RATTLED: The controversial boat people policy, adopted in August when Howard blocked entry to a Norwegian freighter carrying 433 asylum-seekers rescued from an Indonesian ferry, has rattled Australians who pride themselves on their open, multi-racial society.
It is also threatening to damage Australia’s already fragile relations with Asia-Pacific neighbours and discourage investors.
“This could add to negative sentiment about investment in Australia as it plays on the feeling that Australia is not as high tech or sophisticated as other industrialised nations,” said Monica Fan, senior economist at RBC Global Markets.
Indonesian commentator Jusuf Wanandi accused Howard of damaging efforts to integrate Australia into the region by returning to the “White Australia” policy of the 1950s and 1960s when only European immigrants were allowed in.
“Following a very ugly campaign, where racism, xenophobia and bigotry have become the main tactics to win the election, Australia’s status regionally and internationally has been reduced to a pariah,” Wanandi wrote in the Jakarta Post.
Other Asian newspapers accused Howard of snubbing the Asia Pacific region to cosy up to the United States and Britain.
Newspaper editorials in Britain, Europe, the United States carried the same tone, with London’s Financial Times accusing Howard of pursing a “fortress Australia policy”.
But the ugly accusation of racism has upset Australians, with arguments flying fast and furiously to defend the country.
ANTI-RACIST ARGUMENTS: The arguments are many.
Australia, where six per cent of the population is Asian, has never witnessed race riots like in Britain or the United States.
Racially-motived crimes are so infrequent that when a group of Lebanese youths in Sydney stood trial earlier this year for raping girls who were “anglo”, it made headlines for weeks.
And during a heated debate last year over the government’s refusal to apologise to the country’s 400,000 Aborigines for past injustices, up to 250,000 Australians walked across Sydney Harbour Bridge in a symbolic march to breach the racial divide.
But there are also many counter arguments.
Why was Howard so adamant about blocking illegal immigrants arriving by boat from Indonesia while 60,000 visitors, mainly British and American, overstayed their visas illegally each year?
“I voted for John Howard and I am not racist,” wrote Tania Mancia of Bathurst to The Daily Telegraph. “How could I be when I live in and love this land, which has opened its doors and become home to people and cultures the world over?”
Others disagreed.
Robert Taylor from Turramurra wrote to The Sydney Morning Herald: “Howard has sold the nation’s soul for one more term. Our reward will be shame and bewilderment.” —Reuters
