Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser sent the following letter to Immigration Minister Chris Bowen last week …
One of the consequences of the demeaning debate about asylum seekers has been the enormous pressure put on non-government organisations trying to fill a major gap to meet the basic needs of people who have absolutely nothing, asylum seekers who are destitute with virtually no support from government. It almost appears as though each aspect of government policy, which your government largely inherited, is also part of the general policy of deterrence.
The High Court decision now provides an opportunity to return to principle, to return to decency and establish a policy in which the majority of Australians could be proud. The recent Nielsen poll that despite the political debate, suggested that 53% of Australians supported processing onshore, is a remarkable commentary on the attitude of Australians having in mind the views of both major political parties.
If one of those major parties supported the humane approach and onshore processing, I believe that figure would rise remarkably and Australians could again be proud of their humanitarian program.
That would also enable the root and branch reconstruction of onshore support for new settlers. I have long believed something like a new Galbally Report on Post Arrival Services for people who have just come to Australia is long overdue. Circumstances have changed so much since 1977.
I have never believed in the policy of deterrence. I do not believe even the harshest of measures devised by the Labor Party or by the Liberal Party can match the terror, the harshness, the poverty of events in countries from which people flee. That is the motivator for people to get on boats. While that motivator remains, there will always be some people who provide boats.
Many of the refugees who came here in the immediate postwar years had to pay some people for some part of their journey either from Eastern Europe or out of the Soviet Union before they could get to Australia.
The High Court decision gives the government an opportunity to seize the high ground and fight it strongly on the basis of principle. While such a policy would be supported by many in the Labor Party, I know it will also be opposed by those who agree with John Howard’s view on these issues. I understand the internal differences, but it is worth an effort, it is worth a stand.
It would provide a better opportunity to break through the current morass in which the government finds itself.
54 thoughts on “Malcolm Fraser: High Court offers govt chance to seize high ground”
Liz45
September 16, 2011 at 1:35 pmI agree with Malcolm Fraser. (never thought that would happen after 1975?) But he’s correct. The only hope now is that the Coalition doesn’t support the ‘amendments’, The Greens won’t in the Senate, and the Govt (and Opposition) will have to start behaving decently! I live in hope! But not too much of it, sadly!
Allison
September 16, 2011 at 2:01 pmDear God in Heaven, my mother would slap me, but I wish Malcolm Fraser was our Prime Minister… actually no I wish Paul Keating was, Mal can be Minister for Deceny and Immigration. And as for the politics of fear and hate … that can get shoved up John Howard’s where the sun doesn’t shine.
b269829
September 16, 2011 at 2:34 pmAs a long time labor voter ( I do remember 1975) , notwithstanding that I support Malcolm Fraser’s clearly enunciated ideas, I beg the Government, seize the day and back the majority , restore our faith in politics and labor ideals – Geoff
Liz45
September 16, 2011 at 2:42 pm@ALLISON and B269829 – Indeed! I’d like Gough Whitlam as PM, perhaps with Paul Keating as Treasurer – mind you? I like some of the current Ministers-particularly the women. I think they’re doing a great job(except for Jenny Macklin – cringe cringe!). I just wish they’d stand up for decency and justice. Who do they think they’re representing? Fascists? Nazis, who? The few out in western Sydney? What about the 53% who want decency embraced in this portfolio?
Alex
September 16, 2011 at 2:52 pmMalcolm,
I’ve never voted liberal and I never will under it’s current leadership (I suspect you might not either). I don’t have a strong view of the events of 1975 or of your tenure as PM, but, I am mightily impressed with your humanity since then. I think you’re an outstanding statesman.
On the other hand, I am bitterly disappointed with our current PM. Coming into the leadership role, Julia Gillard had an opportunity to re-establish Labour’s philosophy with some principled & progressive policy making that demonstrated Labour’s more humane outlook, instead, she kept going with the patry’s flawed process of poll driven decision making.
As for Abbott, he’s worse; a very sad joke. He may well win the next election and if he does, the short-sightedness of his policies will leave the the Libs wrecked and the country will be left in the back waters of influence and prosperity for the poorer folk; the rich will be richer by an even larger margin.
I hope more elder statesmen speak up as you have and do, so we might avoid this sorry future.
Alex (concerned citizen, & for the record, an atheist)
Gratton Wilson
September 16, 2011 at 3:15 pmI sent a similar message to Chris Bowen last week -“You have done all you can to deter desperate people from boarding leaky boats, stop doing it, pick them up before they sink their boats and hurt themselves, speed up the processing of health and security checks and get them out into the community and working as fast as possible”
If they are spread all over the country in contact with their fellow countrymen they will settle in and become great Australians in no time at all. It’s a non-issue. It should never has been blown up to being important the way it has been.
Suzanne Blake
September 16, 2011 at 4:36 pmWhat was wrong with 1975, its saved Australia?
What will save us in 2011?
beachcomber
September 16, 2011 at 4:52 pmI also find Fraser’s position laudable. He does not mention that his Government, with the support of the ALP Opposition of the day, accepted vastly more asylum seekers fleeing Vietnam than we currenly get from Afghanstian. He processed them on shore, and Australia benefited greatly from their contrubutions to our society. Howard, Beazley, Rudd, Nelson, Turnbull, Abbott and Gillard are disgusting for the callous way they exploit asylum seekers arriving by boast (conveniently ignoring the fact that more arrive by plane) for their own political purposes.
Liz45
September 16, 2011 at 5:05 pm@SB – That’s a bit rich coming from you – no shame, no capacity to use some logical thought processes either. One glaring one is;
We hear ad nauseum from Abbott’s mouth and his band of loud mouths protesting at JG(PM) not being ‘elected by the people’? Having no mandate, blah blah! But you think it’s OK for an unelected person to sack a democratically elected PM, who went to the people twice in about two years and was elected each time? Incredible!
No doubt you’ve just renewed your membership to the ‘divine right to rule’ club? Anything less is a travesty? Funny how Khemlani just evaporated after the ‘job’ was done? Anyway, the old adage, ‘what goes around comes around’ came into fore- Kerr made himself a laughing stock at a Melbourne Cup Day not that long after – gave me the best laugh in years!
davidk
September 16, 2011 at 6:29 pmNever a truer word has been said. I well remember a time when Australians were justifiably proud of their record on asylum seekers. I think the other former PMs, Hawke, Keating and Rudd that is, should join with Fraser in his call for a return to decency. This is the first time since pauline hansen’s rise to prominence when we’ve have the opportunity to take the Australian people back to the side of justice where they belong. The human population won’t fall because our politicians play these games, nor shall the number of refugees.