If it wasn’t clear before that the total cynicism of NSW Labor should rule it out of governing in that state, events since last Friday have confirmed it. NSW Labor’s preferencing of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party — which wants to loosen gun control laws, introduce shooting into school curricula and encourage gun use by children on rural properties — has drawn increasing focus since the massacre in Christchurch.
Labor leader Michael Daley has since insisted that there is no way he would countenance changes to gun laws, but unlike Premier Gladys Berejiklian, he hasn’t ruled out accepting the support of the Shooters to form a minority Labor government. Labor wants the Shooters’ Legislative Assembly representation to rise from one to three at the expense of the NSW Nationals, helping prevent the Coalition from forming a majority government and giving Labor a crack at negotiating its way into power in Macquarie Street.
As is obvious from their name, the Shooters see loosing gun laws as a core issue; how Daley thinks increasing their representation and giving them kingmaker status doesn’t increase the risk that they’ll get their way is a particularly sublime mystery.
As if to confirm the appalling judgment of NSW Labor, a racist tweet by the Shooters’ social media account was revealed yesterday. But the issue of racism was much closer to home for Daley, who was revealed to have told a gathering in September that “our young children will flee and who are they being replaced with? They are being replaced by young people from typically Asia…” before adding, “I don’t want to sound xenophobic, it’s not a xenophobic thing, it’s an economic question”.
Daley has now offered one of those limp non-apologies, saying “I could have expressed myself better … I apologise if any offence is taken.”
The idea of some demonised “Other” — Asian, Muslims, Jews, Africans — “replacing” white Australians is literally the rhetoric of white supremacists. And it’s the same idea Peter Dutton is trying to exploit when he warns that Australians will be “kicked off” hospital waiting lists for asylum seekers needing attention, or which Scott Morrison tries to exploit when he claims Labor will tax retirees to pay for more refugees.
Daley’s line is no different to Pauline Hanson’s warning that we will be swamped with Asians, however much he might insist “it’s an economic question”.
If it’s right for Hanson, and Dutton, and Morrison, to be called out on their exploitation of racism, then it must surely be right for Daley to be called to account as well. Coupled with its feckless support for a party that wants to put guns in the hands of children, it suggests NSW Labor deserves to spend another term in opposition, from where it can reacquaint itself with responsibility.
It’s fine to call this out. It’s not great. NSW Labor rarely is. But the NSW Liberals preference the Nationals since time immemorial. I’m pretty sure they’ve preferenced the Fred Nile group, preferenced the shooters themselves, and of course the Liberals repeated willingness to preference One Nation is documented…. it’s suddenly against their interests for the Shooters to benefit and they’ve suddenly found their disgust. Let’s be even handed in our disgust for both sides of NSW politics here.
I agree Arky, and Keane has long shown he knows zero about NSW. Daley will not do any more privatisations. Baird and Berejiklian are wreckers and their record on the Murray-Darling is a disgrace. I suspect Keane loves the NSW Libs’ neo-classical, ill-understood policies; and favouritism to developers. And Arky yes, the Libs have been as bad or worse to the Shooters – see today’s ABC web article by Bridget Glanville. As well, the long speech of Daley shows the Murdoch press took that migrant comment out of context. And who were the dog-whistlers par excellence who pounced on it? The Libs. Berejiklian was also muttering about “immigrants” just before last Friday’s horror: and for sure, with her background she’s not like the despicable Latham – has Keane looked at him? I’m getting his disgusting One Nation text messages by the hour. Daley has promised to tighten the NSW ICAC that Premier Baird watered down in structure, and de-funded harshly: just when Libs were having to resign. So convenient. It still managed to get the Lib Wagga member for corruption. But tell Keane all this? I’ve really stopped but his level of fact-free analysis has not let up.
Get real Bernard Keane. Your Glad is within a vote of retaining power and she would be allowed to reject the Shooters party vote?
Dream on
I tell you what would actually happen in that scenario
As a woman of her word she steps down and a less principled male MP does a deal
As for the racist angle watch the full speech to see the context of the remarks which relate to the unnnecesary importing of overseas specialists that compete with local job seekers
Those who choose to see Daley as racist are unlikely to shift their vote in favour of the LNP which has been dog whistling for years
Oh any truth in the rumour that Labor is sponsoring John Howard’s media appearances? If not they should be.
I agree John, as well. To add briefly to the grim 8 years of NSW Coalition government: never forget Lib Minister Pru Goward closed so many domestic violence refuges and care/support centres; the defunding of much legal aid; the Lib Minister Roberts of the ill-named “Planning and Environment” doing anything but defending either; the shutting down of safe street homeless centres, especially the one outside the Reserve Bank of Australia, which the Coalition members didn’t like walking past to Paliament in Macquarie St. The public housing people turfed out of The Rocks, many of whom, so dispersed, are severely ill, lonely and some have suicided. It has all been to aid property sell-offs, as well, e.g. the Powerhouse, to a near swamp site in Parramatta which has addditionally lost its swimming pool. With no consultation in Parramatta. The AGNSW could move much of its huge collection to Parramatta, but no, it is allowed to build over to the steps of the Botanic Gardens. Any more to add?
Murray Darling water theft and mismanagement.
Agree with all the above comments…bit late in the day for any Libs, ANYWHERE, to suddenly claim the moral high-ground on immigrants/refugees. The rant from that Lib senator on Q&A last night was something to behold…someone should tell her that the ‘boat arrivals’ nonsense doesn’t work anymore!!
Get a life, Bernard.
It’s time to call a halt to race-baiting no matter who indulges in it. It must stop because it permits nutjobs to feel that they have community support. It is just as ugly when Labor does it has when the LNP or PHON does it. It is ugly, full stop.
We can’t play the game of moral superiority, either. I don’t care if the other side is worse, because even a little bit of race baiting is too much.
If you think that this land is fit to be peopled by whites only, I think that you will find a comfortable home with Pauline Hanson.
Didn’t all of Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison come from the NSW Libs? Such a troika of ne’er-do-wells
Yes the NSW ALP has always been on the nose. So have the NSW Libs. And that’s totally ignoring the Nats, whose every utterance continues to take my breath away.