Embracing the new extreme nationalist faction?

As the federal election date looms imminently close, major political parties are scrambling to flex their national policies. During this year’s election though, a former high profile One Nation leader will be amidst these parties.

The Australian Electoral Commission [AEC] recently released news that Pauline Hanson’s registration of Pauline’s United Australia Party had successfully been lodged and will be a contending force at this year’s federal elections.

During Hanson and One Nation’s declining years, there seemed to be little threat of her and her policies to the major parties. Although her standing as an on again, off again minor threat could soon change. The establishment of her latest party will see Ms Hanson as an independent candidate running for the seat of Senate in her home state of Queensland.

Approaching almost a decade since the One Nation party reached its pinnacle and then rapidly disbanded; there have been understated indications as to what could potentially drive a contemporary society to begin paving the parliamentary path for such groups into Canberra.

It is foremost critical to outline that Australia’s deepening adhesion to racial vilification within the general populous is no phantom matter. This predicament was most evident during the Cronulla race riots which if assumed to still be an open wound, could act as an ominous catalyst to be leveraged by groups such as the United Australia Party and the similar in policy; Australia First Party [currently unregistered].

Analysts in the past have indicated that civil rights in Australia never progressed quite as far as political claims have indicated. Malcolm Knox who was a former chief correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and author emphasises that racism in Australia is “insidious and unadmitted”.

“We have few proud racists. There is no open Klan or National Front here. Our white supremacist fringe - the 10% of voters represented in the late 1990s by Pauline Hanson but who, in the 2001 election, swung back into step with Howard's dance of Arab-phobia - do not admit to racism.” Knox noted.

Undoubtedly there is some truth in Knox’s claims amongst our society. These elements are clearly depicted in just the spate of publicly accessible videos from the popular site YouTube. Some of the comments posted alongside their videos on the site reveal bitter and constant conflict between self proclaimed Lebanese aficionados and Anglo-Celtic Australians. These offenders, whom are all from Australia, never admit to racism but rather perceive it as the sheer manifestation of one’s cultural pride. The ferocity and openness at which these attacks from “both sides” occur are horrendous. In one video comment thread, a user called ‘mehowdy’ writes in part; “fuk off bak 2 th dunes u filthy lebo cunts.”

The increase in this type of behaviour is alarming and proving to be a straining burden on Australia’s ongoing struggle to retain a society that prides itself on diversity and harmony regardless of culture or race. With this ongoing tension in accordance with the constant media hyperbole on the subject matter at hand, the future of multicultural conformity could well be at grave risk.

In a 2006 press statement from the Herald Sun, John Howard said he believed that Australians had “moved on from Hanson”. He also furthered his beliefs and elaborated that the Australian people of today hold disinterest to her comments. However, it is ironic to note that in the same excerpt, a reader survey carried out by the press indicated that there was a 1780 approval rating compared to the 281 disapproval rating for Hanson’s return to the federal election.

Coincidence perhaps? Or could this be an early indication as to where the mainstream Australian perception is skewing towards.
The conception of assimilation has always been considered to be part of the moral fiber of Australia’s immigration history. Although surely enough, this definition is today being abused and used more as a metaphor for an invisible line that asserts a ‘you’re either with us or against us’ type mentality.
Pauline’s United Australia Party is a prime example of this. A self proclaimed advocate in this area, Hanson imposes staunch policies listed on her website where by she will aim to abolish the future intake of all Muslims as well as multiculturalism in Australia due to the fact that they “have their own culture and religion, form ghettos and do not assimilate." She ends the second paragraph of her online message by stating; “It is not a racist or political statement but a statement of religious domination, and is a fact and fanatical!”
A rising nation like Australia must not inherit apathy in place of mediation and compassion of such domestic issues.