ABC TV The 7:30 Report Transcript 7/04/00 Clarke and Dawe -- John Howard KERRY O'BRIEN: Before we go, satirists John Clarke and Bryan Dawe with their view of the week in politics. (John Clarke plays Mr Howard, Bryan Dawe plays the interviewer.) INTERVIEWER: Mr Howard, thanks for your time. JOHN HOWARD: Good evening, very good to be with you. INTERVIEWER: Mr Howard, how many policies do you have on Aboriginal affairs? JOHN HOWARD: Yes, in town, or in the bush? INTERVIEWER: Well, in the town first. JOHN HOWARD: In the city, or in the regional centres? INTERVIEWER: Well, in the cities. JOHN HOWARD: In an election year or just normally? INTERVIEWER: Well, all the time. JOHN HOWARD: An all-the-time, work-for-all-cases Aboriginal policy? INTERVIEWER: Yes. JOHN HOWARD: Don't understand your question. INTERVIEWER: Well, OK, let me put it this way... can you explain our policy on mandatory sentencing to me in terms of the criticism we're now getting from the UN on the question of human rights? JOHN HOWARD: Yes, I can. We support the UN charter on human rights, but we are opposed to the UN charter on human rights. INTERVIEWER: Hang on, Mr Howard, you can't say that... it doesn't make sense. JOHN HOWARD: Doesn't it? How come? Why? INTERVIEWER: You just said, "We support the UN charter on human rights, "but we're opposed to the UN charter on human rights." JOHN HOWARD: I see... can't be on both sides. INTERVIEWER: No, of course not... it doesn't make sense, does it? Do you want to go again? JOHN HOWARD: Just thank me for my time again. INTERVIEWER: OK. Mr Howard, thank you for your time. JOHN HOWARD: Good evening, Bryan. INTERVIEWER: Mr Howard, I wonder if you could explain our policy on mandatory sentencing to me in terms of the criticism we're now getting from the UN on the question of human rights? JOHN HOWARD: Very good question, Bryan. We support the UN's right to go in and secure the rights of the East Timorese people, but we don't give a toss about the rights of the Australian Aboriginal people. INTERVIEWER: Hang on, Mr Howard, I'm sorry... I'm not being very clear here. You're saying that the UN can criticise Indonesia because of the terrible treatment of the Timorese... JOHN HOWARD: Vital role, Bryan, vital role. INTERVIEWER: ...but the UN has no right to criticise Australia over the treatment of the Aboriginal people? JOHN HOWARD: Where would they get that right from, Bryan? Surely we run our country. INTERVIEWER: Mr Howard, that's not right. JOHN HOWARD: I mean, I've got it written down. Here it is. Sorry about that. Can you just thank me for my time again? INTERVIEWER: Mr Howard, thanks for your time. JOHN HOWARD: Yes, good on you, Bryan. INTERVIEWER: Mr Howard, I wonder if you could explain our policy on mandatory sentencing to me in terms of the criticism we're now getting from the UN on the question of human rights? JOHN HOWARD: Yes, I can, Bryan. We, the Australian Government, are dedicated to improving the condition of the Aboriginal people of this country by failing to meet the minimum requirement of the UN as laid down in the charter which we helped write. INTERVIEWER: Hang on, that's not going to work, is it? JOHN HOWARD: It doesn't sound right, does it? INTERVIEWER: It's very complicated. JOHN HOWARD: Here it is. Sorry, here it is. The condition of the Australian Aboriginal people, Bryan, is SO good, so good is it, that the world community has called upon us to stop being one of the worst governments on record. INTERVIEWER: Sorry, Mr Howard, we might be better off talking about something else. JOHN HOWARD: Here we go, sorry. Here we go, sorry. Here it is. It's got a circle around it. INTERVIEWER: Mr Howard, thank you very much for your time. JOHN HOWARD: We've got the question, Bryan. I refuse to apologise to the Australian Aboriginal people, because what can I do, I'm only the PM of the entire country. INTERVIEWER: I'm sorry, Mr Howard, it might be better if we talk about something else. JOHN HOWARD: Maybe it's on a different... Here it is. Here it is. I'm terribly sorry. Just thank me for my time again. INTERVIEWER: Mr Howard, thanks for your time. JOHN HOWARD: Good evening, Bryan. INTERVIEWER: I wonder if you could explain our policy on mandatory sentencing to me in terms of the criticism we're now getting from the UN on the question of human rights? JOHN HOWARD: Yes... shut up. © Roderick Willows Pty Ltd email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] © 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation -- _________________________________ Truth is a pathless land. --- Krishnamurti ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." 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