Which values?
The government has been talking about values. The Opposition has been talking about values. It is relevant to ask whose values and what values. Is it the values demonstrated when lies were told about the Tampa and children overboard and when lies were told about the reasons for going to war in Iraq? Is it the values demonstrated by the continuing insistence that the invasion of Iraq was necessary, even as more and more authoritative voices are calling it a disaster (among them an SAS soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan)? Should the government be open and honest with its people? Has the government been open and honest with its people on these issues?
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That is a great statement by Malcolm Fraser, whose values when we were told so many lies, especially about Iraq. What a disaster that has turned out to be, so many young men have died on these lies. The government has not been honest with its people.
This Government has a record of dishonesty going back to the day it took office - core and non-core promises not least among them. It has taken us back 50 years and now espouses the “values” that made the 1950s such a narrow-minded, restrictive decade. People who are allowed to be themselves make batter citizens.
It is essential that you keep writing Malcolm Fraser. No. the government has not been open and honest with Australians on many issues. I have not read it in total, but the Cole enquiry into the AWB surely is not a fully honest document. Values are basically honesty, openness, fairness (’a fair go’), tolerance, love, compassion, understanding. Our tax system is dishonest and unfair as it taxes the less well off unfairly. Not signing Kyoto lacked understanding of the facts.
Perhaps the values of the man in this link might assist people to face the direction we are headed if we do not wake up Http://www.icjs-online.org/index.php?eid=2049&ICJS=5849&article=1119
When new citzens are asked to promise to up hold the values of Australia. Will that be a core or non core promise ?
Since ‘values’ seems to be the political word of the day, perhaps our politicians (from both parties and at all levels) should begin by discussing THEIR values. Curent government policy shows that they are not driven by the values they want migrants to agree to. What values do Messrs Howard, Costello, Abbott, Ruddock and Downer live by? What values influence their policies? If it is fairness, hopefully santa can bring them a dictionary for Christmas, so that they can discover what real fairness is.
How about the continuing lies over the level of unemployment?
When the Australia Bureau of Statistics defines “employed” as being in one hours paid employment per week, you can be pretty certain that unemployment in this country is much much higher than that acclaimed by John Howard.
How about Howard speaking about bullying when he and Bush are acting like mega-bullies in Iraq. What about the way he locks up children?
If hypocrisy were illegal we might start getting somewhere.
This is a bit rich from a man who stole government from the Labor party. My how short are our memories, and his values!
If he had told Joh his cadidate for the Senate, Albert Fields, was not appropriate, then he may not have become PM.