In the Brisbane suburb of Sunnybank - in the seat of Moreton (QLD) - knocking multiculturalism may not be much of a vote-winner.
A well-attended anti-racism protest held there on Saturday – outside
Liberal MP Gary Hardgrave’s office – received some warm support from
horn-tooters driving by.
Hardgrave’s digs are near the busy intersection of McCullough street
and Mains Road. And what strikes the visitor is that it’s surrounded by
businesses run by, and to an extent catering to, the area’s large
and prominent Chinese-Australian community.
The protest was occasioned by Hardgrave’s recent claim that the local
community was “exhausted” by African, and particularly Sudanese
immigration. The remark was made just after Minster for Immigration
Kevin Andrews had suggested capping arrivals from the country. Certain
areas of the Moreton electorate – like Moorooka – have been favoured
as places for the settlement of new arrivals from the troubled East
African Nation.
As reported recently in youdecide2007, the Queensland Police Service
were not able to report that the Sudanese community were anything other
than model citizens. This was certainly the argument made by members of
the Somali community who were in attendance, who spoke along with representatives
of the Greens, Socialist Alternative and the Stop the War Alliance.
There was also a Pauline Hanson impersonator who “congratulated” Mr.
Hardgrave for “supporting her policies.”
Interestingly, there were no representatives there from the campaign of Hardgrave's main rival, the ALP's Graham Perrett.
What
stopped this being a gathering of the “usual suspects”, though, was
the audible support received from passers-by in cars and on foot,
including members of the local Chinese-Australian community.
Hardgrave’s comments may have reflected his own opinions, or could
have been calculated to appeal to a segment of the electorate that does
worry about change in older suburbs like Moorooka. But on Saturday’s
evidence, he may have alienated voters who live
in Brisbane’s real Chinatown, and are sensitive to criticism of
multiculturalism and immigration.
It remains to be seen whether this will have been a mistake in a seat where the ALP perennially fancies its chances.
Users' Comments
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The race card
By: Stephen (Registered ) on 06-11-2007 13:30
When times are desperate, the race card will be played. This time it most probably will not be anti-Asian because of John Howard’s situation in Bennelong, but there are always the Africans and Middle-Eastern Muslims. You can just hear it: We will decide who comes and who do you trust to keep Australia Australian. It is up to all of us to be vigilant, to protest loudly and with our votes whenever racism is being used to wedge the community.
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