A deal on Aboriginal land rights appears to have saved Australia's Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, from an early general election in which racial issues would have been to the fore. Should the Senate, as is now likely, approve the compromise, Mr Howard and his Liberal-National Party coalition need not go to the country until March, 1999.
The issue of race is unlikely to go away in the meantime. Ms Pauline Hanson from Queensland, who heads the One Nation party, will see to that. In a country whose diversity has proved to be one of its most positive attributes, Ms Hanson has proposed to refuse entry to those who do not speak English and to repatriate all refugees once political turbulence calms in their countries of origin.
She also claims that Australia's Aboriginal people have been put into a privileged position through recent land-rights legislation and that there is an international conspiracy to set up large Asian sections in Australian cities. It is difficult to judge which of her policies is the most bizarre and harmful.
At first sight, the thought of the United Nations and other international organisations setting up working parties to "Asianise" sections of urban Australia is obviously the most ludicrous of One Nation's racial fantasies but, while it amply demonstrates the mindset of Ms Hanson's supporters, it is hardly the most dangerous of the views they hold.
A ban on entry to those with sub-standard English would undoubtedly have excluded many brilliant contributors to Australia's dynamic society. Neither the industrialist, Sir Arvi Parbo, nor Australia's most celebrated heart surgeon, the late Mr Victor Chang, could speak English when they arrived in the country. Mr Alex Somlyay spoke no English when he arrived as a four-year-old. He is now the Minister for Regional Development in Mr Howard's government. The return of all refugees once matters settle down in their own countries could lead to the deaths or imprisonment of many unfortunate persons who have taken the traumatic step of fleeing from authoritarian regimes in their native countries. As far as Aboriginal land rights are concerned Ms Hanson has stated that "Aboriginality allows them to claim a share of the booty of the native title scam as well as various other publicly-funded perks not available to other Australians". The claim that a section of the community is privileged when its life expectancy is 20 years shorter than that of other Australians and its living conditions have, in many cases, been reduced to the squalid in a country of abundance, is patently ludicrous.
Such racism is by no means an Australian phenomenon. In Europe, particularly in the former Eastern-bloc countries, neo-fascist skinheads have been responsible for viciously racist attacks. The lunatic fringe among the English and German football fans who have incited violence at the World Cup espouses primitive racist views. In this country, semiliterate tracts against immigration have begun to appear. Ms Hanson is just one of many politicians who have attempted to give a pseudo-intellectual credence to those who embrace such ugly values. Her success in Queensland has been helped by the inept response of Mr Howard and his government. Australia's fair-minded majority will have more time now to deal with this distasteful phenomenon in its midst. The results of the latest opinion poll indicate that this process has begun.