Trudy, Laurie et al, I have never tried to hide who I am, nor what I do. My
emails have a signature block on them that gives the address of the eZine
that I publish - On Line Opinion - and the potted biography there doesn't
hide anything. I regularly let list members know if I have published
anything of interest to this list, and some have asked to be put on my
regular alert list. I would have thought that it was common knowledge
amongst members who I was.
I have never been employed by the Liberal Party, but I have held office in
it at various times. I ran for State Parliament twice in 1989 and 1992; was
a Federal Young Liberal Vice-President in 1983, and a Vice-President of the
Queensland Liberal Party between 1994 and 1997. In the last role I chaired
the Campaign Committee and devised much of the strategy that unseated Wayne
Goss in 1995. I was also the State Campaign Chairman for the Federal
Campaign the following year, and the council campaign the year after that.
I know a little bit about shifting people's votes and their perceptions.
In 1995 I chaired the preselection Committee that preselected Pauline Hanson
as the candidate for Oxley. In 1996 I was one of a small group of people
that decided she had to go. During the 1998 State Election I made myself
hugely unpopular with my party by publicly opposing the decision to direct
preferences to One Nation and writing a number of op ed pieces in various
newspapers about the Hanson phenomenon, and how to counteract it. One of
these pieces was republished in Land Rights Now, produced in Queensland by
FAIRA.
I am not a conservative, Trudy, I define myself as a liberal. I have always
supported Aboriginal rights. At one stage in the 80's I worked for then
Senator Kathy Martin. When in Canberra she would sometimes lend me to her
friend, and mine, Neville Bonner. There wasn't much that Neville and I
disagreed on in this area, that I recall.
There are other liberals in the Liberal Party, and a lot of us are concerned
about the same issues that concern the other people on this list.
Notwithstanding that for a long time I have been very careful what I post to
this list, knowing that my political affiliation is a minority one in this
group, and that some people would view me with suspicion as a result. I had
thought that the contribution I had made over time might have allayed some
of those concerns and that I was in a position to be a little more robust in
my contribution. I hope I am right.
Graham Young
----- Original Message -----
From: Trudy & Rod Bray <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2000 10:50 AM
Subject: Re: [recoznet2] I don't think so, Graham.
> Laurie,
>
> I find your post offensive.
>
> Yes, Graham's approach is a conservative one but it is genuine
> never-the-less. Liberal Party membership does not equate an inability to
> work for reconciliation just as Labor Pary membership does not prevent
> blatant racism.
>
> Since no one else has been asked to state their political affiliations I
> don't see why Graham has to and your post amounts to a personal attack
> against Graham. Argue with his statements not his politics and don't
> imply that being a conservative politically is the same as being a
> racist.
>
> Trudy
>
> Laurie Forde wrote:
> >
> > In my opinion, if Graham's suggestions were followed, a just
Reconciliation
> > would be impossible.
> >
> > As far as I know, Graham Young was the Liberal Party campaign manager
in
> > the 1996 Queensland election and has a long history of association with
the
> > Liberal Party.
> >
> > You are that Graham Young aren't you Graham?
> >
> > If you are,I believe you should inform list members of your past and
> > current employment record with Conservative groups, before you attempt
to
> > defend the racist approach to Reconciliation of Howard, Herron and
> > anson.( Australia's H H H.),on Recoznet 2.
> >
> > Are you still in the employ of the Liberal Party or any other group with
an
> > interest in the outcome of political events in Australia, particularly
with
> > regard to Indigenous Rights?
> >
> > Please state if you have a vested interest in such matters , if you
have
> > not already done so----I may have missed your declaration.
> >
> > Laurie.
> >
> > Laurie Forde [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Eleanor Brand <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > Date: Tuesday, April 04, 2000 11:08 PM
> > Subject: [recoznet2] I don't think so, Graham.
> >
> > >Graham,
> > >
> > >I don't agree with your arguments at all. I don't see the point in
looking
> > >at the semantics of the debate, and using them to justify or at least
> > soften
> > >the liberal government's position. Perhaps there wasn't an entire
> > generation
> > >of children stolen from their families, but generations upon
generations of
> > >Aboriginal people were effected by the systematic removal of Aboriginal
> > >children. I don't think you could possibly put any sort of percentage
on
> > >what happened, and I don't think you can say that Herron was correct,
> > >semantically, logically, statistically or in any other way.
> > >
> > >But if you want to talk about semantics, I think calling Herron's
statement
> > >a 'blunder' is about as offensive and inappropriate as calling the
history
> > >of genocide in this country (and yes, it was genocide and I will
continue
> > to
> > >call it genocide) a 'blemish' on Australia's 'proud history'(Howard's
> > >interpretation of events).
> > >
> > >I do agree that the process of reconciliation is harder for Indigenous
> > >Australians, because they have to forgive us, and I think largely the
steps
> > >towards reconciliation so far, including the draft statement of
> > >reconciliation, have been more about white Australia feeling warm and
fuzzy
> > >than tackling the real issues - bringing the true history of Australia
to
> > >the forefront of the collective consciouness of Australian people,
> > >understanding exactly what has happened, what is continuing to happen,
and
> > >that we're are all intrinsically connected to the racist ideological
> > >framework which exists today in Australian society and it is up to each
and
> > >every one of us to challenge it.
> > >
> > >I think it is outrageous to suggest that Indigenous Australians should
get
> > >up and forgive Herron, Newman and Howard for their continued ignorance,
> > >offensiveness and blatant racism, when Howard not only refuses to say
sorry
> > >for what has happened so far, but actually continues to try to justify
it.
> > >Why on earth SHOULD Indigenous Australia forgive them? Do you REALLY
think
> > >that's going to aid the process of bringing white and black Australia
> > >together?
> > >
> > >I think such a move would do nothing but hinder reconciliation in the
true
> > >sense. The 'ordinary Australians' you speak of need to know that the
stolen
> > >generations DID happen, and there is probably not one Indigenous person
> > >whose life has not been touched by it. Reconciliation will not happen
if
> > >'ordinary Australians' continue to think that only a few children were
> > >taken, it was in their best interest and it's not really that big a
deal.
> > >Reconciliation in the true sense will NOT be warm and fuzzy. I don't
think
> > >it is just a case of "I'm sorry" "aw that's ok, I forgive you".
> > >
> > >And although I do think Charlie could have phrased what he was
essentially
> > >saying better, I say good on him! And good on any Australian, black or
> > >white, who is going to take the time during the olympics to get out
there
> > in
> > >the public eye and say what the liberals are doing and saying will not
be
> > >forgiven, and in fact it will NOT BE TOLERATED. Yes, direct action can
be
> > >alienating, confronting and intimidating to 'ordinary Australians'. But
> > >perhaps if more Australians understood and acknowledged what has
happened
> > >over the last 200 years, and what is continuing to happen, then more
> > >Australians would take a stand against it and join the fight against
racism
> > >in Australia.
> > >
> > >And why on earth is likening the genocide of Indigenous Australians to
the
> > >holocaust 'unhelpful'? I find it hard to believe that the idea of
social
> > >darwinism and the belief that some humans are superior to others have
been
> > >'put paid to' by liberal democracy. I am quite sure, in fact, that
there is
> > >still a wide spread sentiment of white supremacy. And I personally
don't
> > see
> > >a history which involves food supplies and water holes being poisoned,
a
> > >history which involves babies being buried up to their necks in the
sand
> > and
> > >having their heads kicked off, of whole communities of black women
being
> > >raped as a history in which people's 'physical lives were being
preserved'.
> > >Killings were state sanctioned, industrially efficient, they were
> > >calculated, widespread, deliberate and genocidal.
> > >
> > >Yes, talking about that stuff is threatening, it's shocking, it's heart
> > >breaking in fact. But it's the truth, and as far as I'm concerned,
> > >reconciliation has not happened in a society which chooses to ignore
and
> > >deny that such atrocities happened.
> > >
> > >As for Karen, well...I think she should be booted from the list, and I
> > don't
> > >think implying that she is a white supremicist is inappropriate given
the
> > >comments she comes out with. The KKK is not just a group of Americans
> > >running around in the middle of the night draped in white sheets, they
> > exist
> > >here in Australia and i think their beliefs are actually held, perhaps
to a
> > >lesser extent, but essentially the same ideas, by quite a few
Australians.
> > >
> > >Lastly, I know that we're basically on the same side Graham, we're both
> > >concerned about the future of reconciliation, and about ending racism.
I
> > >just think it's really important to be critical of this conception of
> > >reconciliation as a process where white Australia doesn't really
progress
> > in
> > >terms of the racist ideology we're indoctrinated with and that each of
us
> > >harbours in our psyches, but rather black Australians forgive us for it
and
> > >we just try and move on. We can't possibly move on without being
> > challenged.
> > >And we have to challenge ourselves and each other - it's shouldn't just
be
> > >up to Charlie Perkins and the rest of Indigenous Australia.
> > >
> > >Eleanor
> > >
> > >
> > >______________________________________________________
> > >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
> > >
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> --
> _________________________________
> Truth is a pathless land. --- Krishnamurti
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