SENATOR BERNARDI ON MULTICULTUALISM:
Radio Interview 1137: 16th Feb 2011.
(Interviewer (I)) What is missing in this country (Australia) are politicians not frighten to speak their mind and the truth, and all too often our leaders run and duck for cover at the mere sniff of a tough issue and usually based on what the political correct brigade think is right and is wrong, and I think it is wrong to do that. I think it is disgraceful. You have got to say what you believe to be the truth, and this week it has been multiculturalism.
People are legitimately asking questions. They want to know why is our government is paying for the refugee funerals? Yes they feel for the families involved but as they do feel for families who have been involved in other natural disasters, and we have had the death of so many caused by the inland tsunami, the floods and even the cyclone.
They want to know why our immigration policy of bringing people to Australia, some who quite frankly don’t want to assimilate or integrate. They want to know why our government is fostering this multicultural industry paid for by the taxpayer, which is effectively segregating our community.
Multiculturalism is in trouble because it has become a code word for ‘open slather’, ‘carte blanche.’ We are not tough on immigration and we are breeding an entire generation relying on government support to foster self-interest.
And as I said yesterday, we have achieved real multiculturalism in this country before Al Grasby’s policy of multiculturalism. Back in those days we had post war migrants, Greeks, Italians, Lebanese, Maltese and cultures from all over the world. There was no government ‘drip feed’. These were people sent and looking for a better way of life; people who were inspired by the freedom Australia offered, and they wanted to be part of it, they embraced it. What happened to that idea?
Well there is one person who has some political ticker. They may have muzzled Scott Morrison, but they haven’t muzzled South Australian Liberal Senator Cory Bernadi. And today, I believe that he has touched a cord with everyday Australians.
(I) Good afternoon Senator.
(S) Good afternoon Chris.
(I) You have called for a crack down, I guess, on migrants who refuse to integrate?
(S) Well, I just want to see Australia in the future that is going to be cohesive and united as it has been in decades past. You know, over the last decades or two we have seen an increasing number of people whose allegiance is to ethnic hatred or their ideological baggage or their tribal history rather than to the value that Australia has founded, that is, the rule of law, the equality between genders, the equal opportunity for every body, and a fair go.
(I) I actually believe the greatest mix match has been our Christian values in this country, and what I see as an ‘Ancient Muslim Tribalism’. Now many other people wouldn’t pick out the Islamic religion as something that doesn’t fit with multiculturalism.
But I think there are parts of that community who have ancient tribalism that they continue to espouse, that is, there is no such thing as equal sexes, my religion is far superior to your laws, and democracy should be taken over by Sharia law.
And the more we have of these people the (more) younger members of their community will be influenced, and the more dramas we have with multiculturalism for it.
(S) Oh! Chris, you are spot on, but Islam itself is the problem, it is not Muslims. Muslims are individuals who practice their faith in their own way. But Islam is a totalitarianism, political and religious ideology. It tells people everything about how they should need to conduct themselves, who they are allow to marry, and how they are allowed to treat other people.
It has not moved on since it was founded and there are these extremist that want to see fundamentalist Islamic rule implemented in this country. They are continually trying to change our laws, they are seeking special accommodation to indulge in it, and unfortunately this government is allowing them and encouraging them to get away with it.
(I) Well, the Senator department and the Anti Racism department says to me ‘that we won’t be confronting what are clearly issues in our society related to multiculturalism, we will just try as much as we can to shut up people who want to, you know, to constructively argue the point of immigration.
(S) Well Chris, the speech by the Minister for Immigration the other night was an unbelievable admission of failure. He said on one hand that Multiculturalism is not failing and yet, on the other hand, they have set up a new range of bureaucracy to deal with racism and multiculturalism, and that’s clearly identified that there is a problem with it.
But this is a government that is in denial over so many of their policy failures. I mean we can recall when they said ‘pink batts’ were a good idea, and green loans were a good idea, and the mining tax is a good and the ETX?, all of these things that they refused to accept public opinion on, and this is another one.
The unfortunate part about this is that whilst we can always fix the balance sheet given enough time, you cannot fix a culture balance sheet when the excesses have gone too far.
(I) So you are you suggesting it’s an Islamic importation that we need to stop, per se, across the board?
(S) No. I don’t think that’s the case, but we should have an open migration policy, I believe in that and I think Australia’s had a great success at it. But what’s happened in the last decade or two has been an increasing indulgence of people who are pursuing an ideology and value system that is at complete odds with Western society and Western culture, and the political correctness brigade, as you described it, has stifled this.
Every time you say ‘I’m against Islamization of Australia or against Islam, which I do not support Islam, then I’m called a racist or a bigot and yet there are thousands, tens of thousands of Australians who feel they have been shut down from having their views expressed by a tiny minority of people who are seeking to upend our traditions in this country.
(I) Has the leader of your party, Tony Abbot, tried to stop you from espousing these views this afternoon?
(S) Well, no he certainly hasn’t.
(I) Has he been in contact with you?
(S) I’ve been in contact with Tony. I mean I am his party’s secretary, but my colleagues understand that I feel very strongly about this. I feel very strongly in favour of the…
(I) Yes, that’s great, but you know what’s happened to Scott Morrison, he has been successfully muzzled.
(S) Well, he’s been attacked, I think, most unfairly by the Labour Party who have sought to misconstrue Scott’s genuine concern about the Australian future we’re going to have…
(I) The Liberals could have toughen up Corey
(S) Well, you know…
(I) They’ve gone to water! - Apart from you.
(S) Well, I don’t think that’s the case. There are many people who share these concerns on behalf of the Australian people, and you know I feel very comfortable in speaking out about it, because I have been for it some time and I’m not cowered by the threats and the intimidations that I receive…
(I) So it boils down to this. Come to this country, be willing to work hard because that is our tradition, that is our culture here, have a great time, enjoy yourself, be funny, take the Mickey out of each other because that is very Australian as well, but make sure you do it under the umbrella of an Australian life-style.
We want to see your culture, we want to experience some of your culture, no problem, but come with us, embrace the country, don’t put your hand out and more than that don’t think that your religion is bigger than the Australian law.
(S) Well Chris, that is exactly right. My father came to Australia from Italy fifty years ago, my wife is a migrant, I’ve got cousins and relations have come from all different parts of the world, and they came to Australia because it offers them opportunity and freedom, and it gives them every chance to make a success.
None of them has sought to change Australia, they’ve sought to add to our cultural enrichment by bringing some of what their traditions are but making sure it is consistent with Australian values and laws. And that’s what’s made Australia so good.
So why are we encouraging separation or isolation? Why are we encouraging people who pursue hate speech against…who want to use the freedom that we have against us? And that I think is a real problem.
And we need to imagine what sort of country we want to be in twenty years time or thirty years time, and if we are not careful now, if we don’t put a stop to it now we’re going to end up like England or France or Belgium or the Nederlands or Western Europe where they have a problem much too difficult for them to cope with?
(I) A chronic problem – almost the first signs of civil war – that’s what they have! Can I ask you one question? Therefore, do you support the Federal government’s payment of funeral expenses related to those connected to the tragedy on Christmas Island?
(S) I think it is the wrong thing to do. It sends a very bad message to the taxpayers of Australia, that’s a personal view. I also accept that there are some sensitivities about this and there are political constraints in voicing when you should say these things.
But in the feedback I get right around Australia is that, you know, why are we doing this encouraging people to come to this country illegally and then accommodating them for all their excesses.
Now this is a genuine problem for many Australians and the fact that every time you want to have a discussion about it the Labour Party and some of the extreme left movement come out and try to power people down and call them names is a problem, but we have to overcome that.
(I) Don’t be muzzled, will you.
(S) Oh, no I won’t and the people who know me recognize I’m nothing if not consistent when it comes to these messages.
(I) Thank you for your time this afternoon. (S) It’s a pleasure.
