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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 4 Hansard (7 May) . . Page.. 1033 ..

MR STEFANIAK: What I am saying, Mr Berry, is that some of the great successes which the United States has achieved can be attributed in no small way to multiculturalism; to the fact that there are so many different people there, which is completely contrary to what Ms Hanson seems to be arguing. Mr Speaker, I note that in this book there are a number of articles by people who do not even put their names to them. I think Mr Wood's motion is very timely, and it obviously has the support of all members in this Assembly.

MS HORODNY (12.05): Mr Speaker, I have not read Pauline Hanson's book and I have to say that I have no intention of doing so. Like other members here, I have heard enough of Ms Hanson's prejudice, her bigotry and her racism. Through all her speeches and interviews there is a strong echo of ignorance, a very strong and pronounced ignorance about indigenous culture and the role of land in that culture. There is an ignorance about the impact of white settlement, disease, land displacement, alcohol, changed lifestyles, the break-up of families and all the other issues around the disturbed and broken cultures that are Aboriginal Australia today. That is not to say that that culture cannot be mended. Indeed, the reconciliation process has been set up to foster the healing and mending of that culture, and to give respect and dignity back to Aboriginal people.

There was a letter to the editor in the Canberra Times on the weekend from a Peter Chu, who said that he held grave fears about where the Hanson league was going in this country. I have to say that I share his fear. We have heard already that there has been violence committed against people at the Aboriginal tent embassy in recent weeks. People at the tent embassy are being beaten up. Asian people are being beaten up. I have heard first-hand of friends of mine who have adopted Asian children who in recent months have been victims of abuse and violence at schools, and this is for the first time - just in the last six months since the Hanson factor. There is no denying, Mr Speaker, that we are a nation with a violent history. We have committed incredible violence on Aboriginal people in many ways. We should not deny that; we should not sweep that under the carpet. This violence has been direct and indirect. We have gone through a process of healing and mending in our community, but this violence has started to resurface.

As community leaders, we have to counter the Hanson factor at every opportunity. I would urge Mrs Carnell and Mr Humphries, following this very sensible motion that Mr Wood has put on the notice paper, to send a letter of support from this Assembly to Mr Howard, to the Aboriginal tent embassy, to Aboriginal communities and to the Aboriginal Reconciliation Council, letting them know what this Assembly has agreed to, telling them that we have shown unanimous support for Aboriginal people, telling them that we do support indigenous and diverse cultures in this country, and telling them that we condemn Pauline Hanson's view.

MR BERRY (12.09): Mr Speaker, my colleague Ms McRae made well the points about the attacks by conservatives on our community and the way that the debate about racism and opposition to minority groups has been enlivened by the attitude of conservatives across this country. I think in many cases the conservatives have been indulging in cheap politicking in the lead-up to an election campaign.

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