It’s estimated that 2-2.5% of the population actually spoke what we now think of as Italian at the time of unification in 1861. Eric Hobsbawm’s The Age of Capital notes this dialect was so different to the language used in other parts of the country that when school masters arrived in Sicily to start instructing people on their new native tongue — the literary, elite language of Dante — the locals mistook them for English people.
I mention this because the subtitle of Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson and conservative commentator Kevin Donnelly’s event last night — “The classroom is for education, not indoctrination” – has never been, and cannot be, strictly true. The choice of what to teach and what to leave out, particularly when applied across a nation, cannot help but be a political act. Thus, to have strong views on what should and shouldn’t be taught while also insisting there ought to be no classroom “indoctrination” requires decent sleight of hand.
If you follow these things, there is little that would surprise you in last night’s event, except perhaps the turnout. As I enter the Maribyrnong Bowls Club — which looks like the Christmas party from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is about to kick off (think wood panelling, spilled blancmange carpet, caramel-coloured light fittings) — it’s a miserable Thursday night in Moonee Ponds (Labor Party heartland at both state and federal level, this is Bill Shorten territory). The place is almost full, with at least 100 people in attendance.
The content is as you’d expect: Donnelly tells those gathered that education has become “a vehicle for the socialist left, a neo-Marxist PC view”. Students are indoctrinated in “black armband” history regarding the arrival of the Europeans and their impact on Indigenous peoples, in “climate alarmism” and of course, in “gender ideology”. In explaining how we got here, the Frankfurt school gets an early mention, as does George Orwell, and in a decent turn of phrase, Donnelly laments Victoria’s descent into “Danistan, our Antipodean Venezuela”.
This is all part of Donnelly’s long-held theory of the left’s “long march” through Australia’s institutions (30 years of which neatly explains how millennials became such raging lefties, in Donnelly’s assessment). Again, he doesn’t seem to see any contradiction with his own contention that schools ought to place greater emphasis on “Western civilisation” and the event’s aversion to indoctrination.
There is some truth in there being a generally socially progressive tint to the people drawn to education institutions, but this doesn’t necessarily bear out the dark, faintly conspiratorial tone Donnelly conjures of the nation’s Marxists: denied their explicit revolution, marching through our schools trying to destroy the family unit. And certainly, citing US controversies over The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (if you think he referred to a certain character as “n-word Jim”, dear reader, you would be mistaken) and To Kill A Mockingbird as examples of the dangers of the censorious left takes some serious chutzpah as Republican governments ban books at unprecedented rates.
Crikey reported earlier this year that the Coalition clearly sees a culture war around education, reconstituted locally from parts imported from the US, as a possible win for the party. And you can see why, even if not all previous attempts worked. Events like this always skew older, but it’s about as diverse in age and ethnicity as any event of this kind I’ve been to. Donnelly’s anecdotes concerning some of the more absurd recent events in schools — say, boys having to stand up at an assembly and apologise for the “behaviour of their gender” — gets groans and nods from those present, as does Henderson’s “concerns” about drag queens reading to children.
Donnelly’s content wraps up most of the culture war stuff, which leaves Henderson fairly clear to talk mechanics and fundamentals — we learn, among other things, that she’s a big fan of phonics, and giving parents a “greater voice” in what their kids are taught. Still, she does take the time to shout out now-independent state member Moira Deeming, in the audience, calling her expulsion from the party an “abomination”: “You did nothing wrong, you did nothing wrong.”
Deeming survived the Liberal Party’s initial attempt to expel her after she attended an anti-trans rights rally that was also attended by neo-Nazis. Deeming has denied any wrongdoing, but was eventually expelled from the partyroom for threatening to sue Victorian Liberals leader John Pesutto for defamation. Indeed, Deeming’s welcome presence here — the event is organised by the Donvale branch with Liberty Australia and the local state and federal electorate committees — and at other similar events shows the conflict is not at all working out how Pesutto had hoped.
And Henderson, who reportedly lobbied on Deeming’s behalf back in March, certainly isn’t distancing herself after that teary episode in the Senate back in March. The upcoming Warrandyte byelection looming on the horizon — necessary because Ryan Smith, a Deeming supporter, quit Parliament — is just another example of the Liberal Party split on these issues.
An internal war over education, a perfect nexus of many of the social preoccupations of the party’s hard right around identity and history, is the last thing Pesutto, or any other moderate Liberal, needs. But it’s what they’re very likely to get.
I find it bewildering that the Liberal Party are so bereft of ideas, or policy to push in Australia that they feel they need to import these confected policies from the US. They appear to have no concept of the differences in our voting systems…
Kevin Donnelly has been around for what feels to me like centuries, spouting the same old conspiracy theories of the lefties taking over education that Charlie describes in this article. He pre-dates Trump and the US hard right by many years.
I read a hilarious (to me anyway) article on The Guardian Australia this morning about the NSW Libs looking outside their usual party sources for a more “teal-like” candidate to unseat Zali Steggall from Warringah at the next federal election.
I feel like I have wandered into a parallel universe.
Yeah – saw that. The problem is the local MP (Zali Steggall) is already a “teal-like” candidate. The reason she didn’t join the Liberal Party is because they kicked all the “teal-like” members out, gradually under John Howard, then at an accelerated pace under Abbott and Morrison.
Next time you come across someone on the street that supports the far right culture-war-hysteria pumped these numpties, ask them what they think of Australia’s 2nd amendment rights. And then walk off and chuckle at the sheer stupidity.
What’s absolutely hilarious about the hard right numpties in the Victorian Liberals is that completely fail to grasp that their schtick will never get up in this state. It’s like they never heard of demographics or something… The blind faith is just astounding.
I don’t find it bewildering. Even Menzies was bereft of ideas. The Liberal Party is liberal in name only. They should rename themselves the Dumb and Dumber Party or Where Losers Go Party. Apart from the National Firearms Agreement and the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act, nothing stands out as good policy.
Educating the serfs can only lead to trouble.
Exactly. Every good Conservative Liberal knows that educating the lower classes makes them question their betters and serves no useful purpose.
Dingbats? Watch out dear readers, and resist the temptation to see Deeming, Demes, Donnelly et al as laughable. That’s how Trump was seen, and then he got elected.
There is anxiety in our world and society at the pace of change, which seems uncontrollable. Identifying some “known” villain(s) – woke lefties, etc, – restores a sense of control.
I contend that anxiety is rightly our lot – deniers included – all are affected by the looming existential threat of climate crisis.
here here. back to the centre please people. no-one wants their kids taught by radicals. our society needs cohesion to deal with the climate crisis.
The facts are we are being bought by multinational profiteers – the fact is older women are being indentured first , then those of us vulnerable and indentured hence labor cracking down on orotesting like their duoploy collegugues in the nutter right wing grifter party – we gave a fascist dictatorship – defence flogged off to big ticket incestor in party jobs for all
sic investor
Good article, particularly the first two paragraphs. I believe that along with socialism and drag queens, the conservative Liberals will ban the word ‘irony’ if they ever get back into power.
And ‘hypocrisy’ soon after.
Hi Crikey
With absolutely no disrespect to Charlie Lewis whatsoever, where is Guy Rundle? I need his ascorbic and vitriolic commentary on such an event as Henderson & Connolly think tank.. Has he been permanently benched for saying something not in keeping with the party line at Crikey. I’m old enough (and have been a subscriber long enough) to remember when Crikey contained nothing but commentary not in keeping with the party line! We’re all old enough and ugly enough to read something which we disagree with without an opposing group enforcing some sort of fatwa on publication. Please Crikey, ring Mr Rundle, have a beer, whatever it takes, but get him back in the Crikey Pit. Its all getting a bit vanilla in there.
Ascorbic – Usually Ascorbic Acid AKA Vitamin C.
Acerbic – Especially of a comment or style of speaking: Sharp, sarcastic, sardonic, satirical, scathing, cutting.
Ascorbic IS an acid…
Folks still stabbing their screens probably have no idea how stuff goes for those of us who swipe our words… This substitution is exactly the sort of typo we get, which often makes it look like we only have a rough idea what word we want.
Hear Hear!
Excellent comments. ‘Fatwa’ describes the situation perfectly.