A concerned member of the public recently sent me a letter which, in my opinion, captures a large part of the problem Australia is still wrestling with: the problem of how we respond to people who are not the same as us. Her letter includes this:
“Despite the challenges of nature and distance and its relatively small population, Australia has always had the opportunity to be the best and fairest nation in the world.
Resource rich and fuelled by determined folk, the country has produced ample to provide for all. Inheriting a tested system of law and growing a new expectation for fairness and democracy, the possibility that the country could mature into a relative utopia was always in reach.
I was born in WA, grew up proudly Australian, worked in public service and as a self–employed businesswoman, married and had children who I expected would have the advantages of a generous, intelligent, compassionate and wealthy nation.
How wrong was I? The blinkers are off and things have changed greatly over the past decade or so.
The opportunistic swindling of funds from those who most need them, the persecution of the most vulnerable in our society and the utter torment inflicted on people seeking asylum – all perpetrated by our government in an immoral grab for votes and control and enabled by mainstream media – have overtaken all efforts towards social conscience and benign leadership.
What frightens me most is the sheer number of Australians – including members of my family, despite my efforts to enlighten – who have fallen under the spell of disinformation. Paranoia is rife and the ugly fear that others may be receiving ‘more’ at our expense is too easy to incite in a poorly educated (by design?) and insecure (also by design?) public.
I’m no longer proud to be Australian. I feel personally degraded by the inhumane treatment of refugees desperately seeking our help. I go to bed each night and wake each morning with the burden of humiliation in my mind. Not just the humiliation of those in detention, but my own. How am I to deal with having this shame forced upon me by my own leaders? This may seem selfish, but I’m seriously concerned for the welfare of those detained on the islands and I know I’m not alone. It’s depressing to the point where the emotional and psychological impact on everyday Australians is apparent. I was sad at Christmas and find it hard to be positive going into the new year.
No amount of propaganda or deceit by government or media will assuage the guilt in anyone with an ounce of compassion, or the good sense to see the damaging consequences to the refugees and to Australia. Many simply don’t see that if our government is comfortable treating human beings as disposable, it won’t stop with refugees, ethnic and indigenous people – it will extend such ruthlessness to mainstream Australians too. Think Centrelink and Medicare. …”
It is a sad thing when an Australian citizen no longer feels proud to be Australian. Today’s politicians betray the country in various ways:
- they make up reasons for putting a ring of steel around the country
- they seek to avoid the obligations we voluntarily undertook when we signed the Refugees Convention
- They cause Australia to breach our obligations under the Convention Against Torture
- They cause Australia to breach our obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child
- They cause Australia to breach our obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
No wonder Australians feel ashamed, when they cut through the political dishonesty peddled by people like Abbott, Morrison, Turnbull and Dutton.
Facing the fact that we are punishing people who have committed no offence is very painful.
Facing the fact that we are breaking our promises to the international community is very painful.
Facing the fact that we are behaving like a rogue state is very painful.
Facing the fact that we are behaving in ways which contradict our image of ourselves is very painful.
So all credit to Justine Pitcher for capturing the problem so well, and thanks to her for letting me quote her letter. Join with her in expressing your disgust at our political “leaders” and what they are doing to trash this country’s character and reputation.
This woman managed to put into words that which I could not …
I am tired of explaining the basic tenets of humanity of social conscience and of social justice…
I am tired of defending against so much hate and vitriol …
I am tired of a government that does not respect this nation as much as I do and tired of the fact that our opposition seems content to allow the social malaise to set like junket …
In short – I am tired … but not conquered
This nation deserves its identity back …
So eloquently put. While reading I thought this lady exactly echoed my thoughts. I too had a sad Christmas and feel very unhappy at the situation these innocent refugees, and particularly the children find themselves in. It is very easy to cry when seeing pictures of the children in such appalling conditions. Ashamed to be Australian, maybe not but very, so very disappointed in what Australia has become, governed by an incompetent bunch of unethical, self-serving politicians from local government up to the federal level. What can we do about it?
Well said, well written and says what I’m feeling. I am still gobsmacked by the fact that Howard got reelected after being caught out in a huge, unforgivable lie. Tampa, lest we forget.
What can we do?
I too am horrified at the sustained and increasing callousness of our government and many of my fellow Australians. I hate the feeling of powerlessness and frustration that I am being forced to bear the selfishness, meanness and greed of mainstream Australia. I feel as if I am condoning it when there are few avenues to make any significant protest. Meanwhile, trying to lead my own life with compassion, justice and generosity is small consolation but very dear to me.
I feel the same. I once believed Australia was the best country in the world. We were fair and just. Now I believe we’re just heartless bogans. Our beauty and wonder smashed for hateful political gain
Pitcher reflects the sad reality of being a citizen led by a self-serving political class these days. It wasn’t always so – or not so much. It may be interesting to reflect on whether the rise of bureaucracies and managerialism underpins a lot of this dysfunction – simply because managerial mind-sets dehumanise, de-emphasise human concerns, and focus on pseudoscientific measurement that can be used to justify a neo-liberal agenda of cost-cutting and small government. The “frank & fearless” public servant has been retrenched, the professional has been undermined, and the dissenter is often being silenced. Could this managerialism explain, in part, why refugees are “just numbers”, our obligations “just a document” to be disregarded, and why one’s word doesn’t carry any weight – because “outcomes” are everything, and content & concern, like reputations, mean nothing? Maybe everyone has too readily blamed politicians (who really do need to carry responsibility) without asking whether something more fundamental is going awry? Maybe managerialism promotes self-centredness and lack of responsibility – simply because those are not its aim. Is that what’s happened to our country – we’ve let the managers take over, bought their spin, and their politicians?
It is indeed very sad to see such wanton disregard; what’s even more painful is the fact that many seem so engrossed in this apathy, which stems from a complete lack of awareness of life and it’s inherent relationships.
Hear, hear. Justine writes the words I’ve been penning in my heart for years. I felt sad at Christmas too. Thank you so much for posting. It has reminded me to stay strong and do better.
Thanks for taking the time to try and gauge the national sentiment, although the response will be limited to those who have found your contribution on-line. I am mortified by the ease with which Australians have had their heads and hearts turned. Of course, years of social engineering aimed at encouraging total self-interest, mostly via advertising but also through the deceit of holier (or at least richer) than thou “self reliance” of compulsory superannuation. Now there’s a great way to remove the whole notion of social support and responsibility for the aged. The Centrelink debacle is illustrative of the desire to trickle down opprobrium on those who have not fully grasped the that these are the end days of our society. We have unwittingly abandoned community and the common wealth by adopting extreme Thatcherism and are now pitted against each other. Under this prevailing mentality, any encouragement to share our toys in the playpen, literally and metaphorically, is absent. Averting our eyes and allowing the recent and current brutal political response to our fellows trying to find shelter and security remains the selfish and defensive mindset. I do despair.
It seems that what generosity and kindness we feel to the refugees is trumped by the fear. Fear of terrorism, fear of them taking our jobs and our livelihood. And a general feeling in the electorate that they, the ordinary Australians, have been forgotten, while the government and the media have focussed on gay marriage and the refugees, issues of no revelance to your average straggler. This kind of resentment has brought Trump to power. As more and more jobs go, due to outsourcing and automation, this resentment is only going ti grow. We are in for some interesting times.
It is very difficult to see any service to the public from recent Liberal Governments let alone any desire to behave as global citizens. A country that is purportedly wealthy should be looking after its citizens and training them to maintain their quality of life and hand it on to future generations. Yet the Government seems intent on driving those who have served their country well into poverty and humiliating them at the same time (the elderly and infirmed) and not providing a quality education to the young. There are no policies, or even vision, for building a robust future economy. The Government seems more intent on looking after largely foreign companies, such as Adani and those involved in Gorgon, with minimal return to the country, while gouging smaller Australian entities. It pursues pensioners but not foreign corporate tax dodgers. It enters free trade agreements which relinquish our sovereign rights. While at the same time it shows total disregard for the Great Barrier Reef and the environment.
I really do not get the attack on refugees and the systematic moral degradation of those held in detainment. I am saddened that the country has come to this. Embarrassed. And not a proud Australian. I write to ministers to no avail. They are deaf or incompetent. Dutton is doing a job, albeit unimaginatively and incompetently. He is not a free thinker (I have met him and doubt whether he is a thinker at all) and has no moral compass. The word “decency” is not in his vocabulary – presumably too long. But the crying shame is that our so-called leaders fail to lead, Turnbull in particular. Parliamentarians are too busy looking after themselves and ensuring their futures, not necessarily political futures (diplomatic corps or directorships and fine retirements), to worry about Australians or our responsibilities to the world. Frankly, we are governed by a bunch of uneducated nitwits. It saddens me and I really worry about what we will leave our grandchildren.
Yes. Yes.
But I am still proud that in my country there are still people who will stand up and speak their truth. There are still people who will make their way into the desert to protest at the razor wire.
My hope is that we can see the truth before we sink to the point of putting the stupid and morally bankrupt in total control. We are only human; if we can watch our brothers and sisters in the land of weapons and flags and Hollywood succumb to their own fear and ignorance, if we watch the inevitable consequences to what started as the kind of society we aspire to, perhaps we will save some of our humanity.
Then we can once again be as proud and call ourselves Australia fair.
I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed, but what can be done to change the actions of our political leaders. In private they say one thing, but publically do another.
My concerns are expressed so elegantly by Justine Pitcher. My fears are similar – where will the ruthlessness stop? Even more frightening is that we are seeing this trend in many western countries e.g. the US, whose incoming president has no empathy towards his fellow man, and in the U.K. after the “success” of the Brexit vote. Will we continue to follow our allies blindly?
I too have felt shame & disgust at the way we as a nation treat refugees & despair over the apparent indifference of the generally decent people I live among who make no protest.But we shouldn’t be surprised given our history.
The White Australia Policy was passed by our initial Federal Parliament.
Our relationship with our First Peoples continues to be shrouded in ignorance & complacency and we allow/encourage our governments to overfill our privately run gaols with Indigenous youth, so we can feel safe.
The detention centres inside Australia seethe with misery & asylum seekers waiting in fear of deportation.
How many of us have visited one? Until we can face our past, our future looks like more of the same,
I applaud Justine, but believe that it is past time to wait for politicians to fix things. We all must want them to be fixed & actively to insist upon that.
Your and Justine’s posts coincide with the emergence of ‘new’ information about the apparent misuse of public funds by politicians – from almost across the board. We need more facts before we identify specific cases. But, at first blush, it seems that at least some of our political representatives – who are jointly responsible for plans to cut welfare and health benefits – are very opportunistic when it comes to using their politicians’ entitlements to boost their own personal incomes.
I really don’t feel that your shame is selfish: to the contrary, I would call it compassion, and the shame is shared by many, but clearly not enough.I haven’t yet got to the stage of calling myself a Kiwi when I’m overseas. I would rather tell people that not all Australians should be tarred with that brush.
And I would say that we are abrogating our obligations and responsibilities by our willful disregarding of treaties that we voluntarily signed. Our leaders have breached the faith of their constituents, and the rest of the world. That others look to follow our lead does nothing to lessen that shame and guilt.
My shame has grown to absolute anger at the fascist horrors being foisted on us by Canberra, on those seeking asylum, on our dear “Fuzzy Wuzzy” neighbours in West Papua who are in the grip of genocide at the hands of Indonesia – thoroughly denied by the current Canberra, and on the environment, for instance, the Reef that Canberra seems to want to trash in favour of coal mining. For heaven’s sake, the actions and inactions of the fools in power make my blood boil.
[Edited] My shame has grown to absolute anger at the fascist horrors being foisted on us by Canberra, on those seeking asylum, on our dear “Fuzzy Wuzzy” neighbours in West Papua who are in the grip of genocide at the hands of Indonesia – denied by the Canberra sycophants; and on the environment, for instance, the Reef that Canberra seems to want to trash in favour of coal mining, and in so doing, squandering billions on a mining company being investigated for large-scale crimes. For heaven’s sake, the actions and inactions of the fools in power make my blood boil.
Obama ended his final speech today claiming his right as an ordinary citizen to continue the fight for all that democracy stands for. I simply add my voice to the message above and I will do my best to raise the awareness of those around me to the current attacks on our democracy. Thanks for your carefully written thoughts.
Prior to the 2013 election, I was ‘accosted’ by the local Liberal party candidate (who subsequently won) as he handed out his How To Vote cards at the local shopping centre.
With time to spare and an inclination to find out more, I asked him some questions that culminated with some relating to refugees.
He’s an articulate chappy and well practiced in quoting from the standard answers book. although he has no experience of working with or even knowing any refugees (I have), he was quite happy to pontificate on their legality, worthiness and probable ‘benefits’ to the country. In other words, he revealed his background of working in the family law firm, involvement in conservative student politics, early recruitment to local ‘lad most likely’ candidature of the party and a complete lack of community awareness outside the mandatory sports clubs and senior citizen photo ops he seems to prefer. Of some concern for most thinking people is that he’s heavily aligned with the right and is beginning to move up the rungs. Let’s just say that he’s more likely to have coffee in the Monkey Pod room with ‘Darth’ Dutton, than he is to play ‘dithers’ with Turnbull in the ‘Do Nothing’ wing. Anyway, I digress.
His entire argument in support of everything his party would do was “we’ll turn back the boats”. At the last election, I decided to follow up on these themes with him. Now he’s tooting about the numbers of lives saved from drownings. When I asked about detentions and conditions of survivors, he could only return to the drownings statistics. These politicians are numbers (and polls) and statistics-driven.
They can’t or won’t digest the concepts and morality of hopeless incarceration and won’t contemplate the conditions within which these refugees are treated as prisoners for simply successfully surviving but being captured just before the final hurdle.
While I agree that our parliamentary leaders on both sides of the house demonstrate a high level of insensitivity toward asylum seekers, I would not suggest that it is restricted to them. Too frequently I have read of surveys which indicate that somewhere in the area of 60% of Australians surveyed approve of the bipartisan policies of harsh treatment of boat people.
Sharing the shame for Australia’s abrogation of our international responsibilities, I cannot help but feel that our insensitivity toward boat-people, especially those we have imprisoned in Nauru and on Manus Island, is yet another indicator of Australian insularity.
As examples of this insularity, firstly, the frequently heard reference to looking after each other, “helping out a mate who is in trouble”, as a particularly Australian trait. No, it is not; people the world over look after each other in times of trouble. It is a human trait (probably more broadly an animal trait), and cannot be claimed as specifically Australian. My second example is the drift away from continuing with learning languages other than English all the way through secondary school. Despite the fact that we have many community languages, Australia remains very much a mono-lingual nation, in which the most frequent reason given for studying a second language is that it will assist in doing business overseas. No, the main advantage of learning another language is that it helps us to really know people in other countries. But in a self-contained island nation, whose language is the current international language, this is not generally perceived as a real need.
Australia is in a perfect geographic location to develop into a cosmopolitan society, and happily, we have started on that path with broadening of our immigration policies since the early 1970s. The earlier expectation of one-way assimilation of immigrant families into Australian society has given way to policies encouraging integration into a culturally diverse Australia for the future. Our current obsession with “defending our borders” which allows the obscenity of long-term off-shore detention of innocent asylum seekers is a major impediment to achieving our national potential.
I am a fourth generation Australian who has been proud to be Australian. Like this woman I am no longer proud of being Australian and am appalled at the way those seeking asylum are detained like criminals! In fact, these people are treated worse than criminals because they have never had a day in court to plead their innocence. Keeping these people detained without trial is illegal according to International Law!! The Australian Government is the illegal not the asylum seekers and refugees.
Thankyou so much for sharing with us Julian l have posted it in full on fb its had several shares already.
Sadly it isn’t only asylum seekers suffering but many Australian families too torn apart by Mr Abbots amended s501 migration act:(
Justine you hit the nail on the head … thankyou for your deep concern. Its good to know we are not alone.
The damning thing is thst the government is not accountable to any morality. No matter how many reports of the harm being done to people offshore are published, no matter that people have died, no matter that petitions have been submitted, the government keeps doing the same things. But they say that it is not their responsibility – this is a matter for the governments of PNG or Nauru. But these are only Australia’s contractors – Australia is responsible and has no business abusing human rights.
All you say so eloquently is true and good to express. What we need now is strategies to convince the majority of Australian voters of the truths, of the breaches of obligations of the crimes of our Government against a people. We need to gather the momentum we achieved during the Howard years when he let the people go free as there were so many of us to support and speak for them. What is missing now is a lack of personal stories because of the secrecy around every vile act the Government perpetrates against people seeking our help. This time we are not allowed to correspond with the people locked up and do not know their individual stories to tell to our communities. We need to hear, learn and tell all more stories. We must all work harder to convince our neighbours. We must all do more. To express our sorrow is good but not enough.
Hi Julian,
I am interested in sending a letter to a refugee and was wondering if you are still doing that? If you are please let me know by email and if not is there any other way I can help?
Thank you, Daisy
Yes. Email me so I can send you some names/boat numbers
Australians should be very proud of the society they’ve created. The civility, hospitality, and democracy that the people have fostered isn’t luck. Accepting refugees from dire situations is a humanitarian responsibility that the world shares. Nevertheless, if you allow overwhelming numbers to enter without time for assimilation this sought-after culture will cease to exist.
As an American I can tell you that many of us (if not most us) look at Australia as an example of a nation that did things correctly. “We” are certainly a nation of immigrants and have a moral obligation to continue that policy–to a large degree. But here we’ve seen entire towns develop their own culture, one that reflects none of the attributes they came to America to find. It’s growing!
If refugees want to arrive to find the sort of society that offers a new and better life, immigration has to be done legally and methodically.
You’re doing the right thing…keep it up!
Look, I’ll be honest with you – I was to and fro about whether to respond to this as I honestly do not think it will be posted. But here goes. I would dearly love to respond to Justine, I would love to say to her that, as well-intentioned as she is, she is actually part of the problem. Many reading this can and (most likely) will infer whatever they please about my opinion on refugees, and they are welcome to. To save you the guesswork, I am one of the many who welcome and support immigration but also believe in border protection. I know, right – the shock!
We have watched with dismay over the past year the re-emergence of Pauline Hanson (I think she’s a wally), plus the jaw-dropping success of that Trump chap (even more of a wally), and of course Brexit (not my country, not my decision). My honest opinion on why we have seen such monumental shifts is simply because those of a ”conservative” or ”right-wing” tendency (or even those fence-sitters like myself who like to make up my own mind)are tired of reading/hearing/watching discourses (like those above) on how they lack compassion (”assuage the guilt in anyone with an ounce of compassion”), are maybe just a little bit stupid (”or the good sense to see the damaging consequences”)and unpatriotic (many examples in the letter and comments, in essence you can only be proud to be Australian if you believe in open borders).
The old adage ”you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink” to me is rather apt. I would put it to you that you are perhaps trying to stuff the snouts of those around into said trough (as you implied when you described trying to ”enlighten” your family), which will just land you with a cranky horse. You don’t then try to calm the horse down by calling it names.
As I’ve mentioned, I like to make my own mind up about things, as do most people. This is the age of the internet. Be it refugees, climate change or whatever topic floats your boat – people will do their own reading, digest whatever information they wish and form the opinions they do – and that is that. If you wish to change their opinion you may attempt to do so (but don’t call them names), if your facts are better than theirs you will at least give people pause (which is my experience of it), which may just trigger them to look a little more into it – or not. The human species has evolved over the ages so I would say that inquisitive minds are the rule rather than the exception (as you and others seem to think).
But you know what? Some people just won’t change their mind on anything. For some people what their parents told them is what they will believe for the rest of their lives. You can jump up and down and shake all the facts at them ’til the cows come home. And to those people? Don’t waste your time on them. Certainly don’t get wound up to the point where you can’t sleep or enjoy Christmas.
A bit meandering I know, but the essence of what I am trying to say, Justine, is that I think you will find that you, in an attempt to pull people into your way of thinking, are pushing people out – and sometimes into the arms of right-wing political parties.