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August 25, 2005
There is a big cultural shift happening, which undermines the liberal pluralism of Australia, and it is being conducted in the name of Australian values. Leunig notices the conservative attack on Islam and Muslim values:
Recently we had the federal Treasurer in a media interview saying that people thinking of coming to Australia who did not like Australian values, and preferred a society that practised sharia law, should go elsewhere.
Okay. Australia is a secular liberal society and its core values are democracy, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, and personal liberty. But a core value of liberal pluralism is the tolerance of citizen's towards different religions in a liberal polity.
Peter Costello, in a media interview, said that: There is no point in coming to Australia and saying I am offended by your laws or I am offended by your Parliamentary system of democracy. If you are going to be offended by those things, then do not come.
The subtext is pretty much saying that, if you don't like those values, then don't come here, as Australia is not for you, isn't it?It comes close to denying value pluralism. Costello does recoil under questioning to affirm free speech. But the subtext remains sitting there.
Brendan Nelson, the Education Minister, goes further in a doorstop, as he makes the subtext quite explicit. He said:
...we don’t mind where people come from; we don't mind what their religion is or what their particular view of the world is. But if you want to be an Australian, if you want to raise your children in Australia, we fully expect those children to be taught and to accept Australian values and beliefs. We want them to understand our history and our culture, the extent to which we believe in mateship and giving another person a hand up and a fair go, and basically if people don’t want to support and accept and adopt and teach Australian values then they should clear off.
Under the guise of advocating tolerance towards different religions, or views of the world, Nelson is advocating a monoculture in a liberal polity. Value pluralism has been explicitly ditched. Only Australian values are tolerated.
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When I read Costello's statements I was reminded of the people (Australians) that Greg Egan pillorised in "Distress". He used a stable, anarchic island built on "stolen" IP to contrast his characters and plot. Two of his main characters, both Australian, one from "stateless" and the other from Epping, NSW IIRC end up discussing Australian culture. I have transcribed the relevant bits.
Costello came off sounding like a "professional Australian".
Egan is an amazing author. His best story IMNSHO opinion is "The Moat", it is about immigration and the us and them ethic. It was written in 1996, very, very prophetic. His us and them is also rather horrific.