If the author’s friend was so pleased to see the back of Pauline Hanson that he “…purchased a bottle of champagne as soon as he heard the news”, he hasn’t got very much to think about or celebrate.

But, I suppose that people like Mr. Thampapapillai are the ones who Pauline Hanson disapproved of as immigrants, so it is natural that he might cite a totally disproportionate reaction to the woman’s departure with a degree of levity and pleasure.

Let’s not beat about the bush. The chattering classes mostly dislike Hanson for her views on race and immigration. They believe that freedom of speech applies only to them. The guff about Australia no longer being a land of opportunity hides the race question. It’s the same with her critics, as evidenced in comments that she will really find out about how much worse the UK is with different races, and in this article wherein Thampapapillai throws in ‘opportunity’ every now and again but writes mainly about the ‘success’ of cultural mixing in Australia. He might be just a little too complacent and relaxed about the Australian situation, though.

While Hanson was undoubtedly crude and was opposed to a non-discriminatory immigration policy, the author and his friend should never doubt that many Australians hold views similar to hers. These sentiments will be compounded by Rudd’s weakness on illegal boat arrivals, continuing high legal immigration and the cost and shortage of housing, plus the hypocrisy involved in bringing in more people while taxing us for climate change.

It beggars belief that there will not be violence and strife as the population increases, mainly through immigration as it is now. Lawyers and law students having “…an acute understanding of international affairs” and the author’s faith in and approval of globalisation means nothing when the population starts feeling the squeeze. Being “engaged in the world” doesn’t mean that Australians want the world to come here to live.

Opportunity is not the issue. The issue is immigration – too much of it!

I like this article because it makes the point that Australia is a great place. It acknowledges that in real life things are a lot better than whate they are made out to be by the media. Human beings are essentially good and we can get on together so i like where he coming from.

if he was born here he's not a migrant.

Dear Pauline,
I never agreed with your politics but I did admire your courage and determination. I watched with horror as the politically correct crucified you.
Is going to the UK such a good move? I was born and bred there and I just hated the weather and dampness.
I am now, after forty years away from the UK just horrified as I read the on line magazine 'Big Brother Watch'
Be careful that you are not jumping out of the frying pan.

I don't know where you have all been hiding.
Pauline Hanson said quite clearly that she was not leaving the country
but going first to New Zealand and then to the UK for a holiday.
When she returned she said she would probably move down south somewhere.

Even the BBC had an item about her moving to the UK just a few days ago.
This is typical of what the media did to her when she was in politics.
It is amazing isn't it ?

Actually, it is quite serious, no matter what your politics, that the
media can so deliberately and in such a co-ordinated way set out to
mislead the people.

"First, our democracy is robust enough to handle genuine divisions on immigration and culture without degenerating into violence."

As long as you don't count protestors throwing condoms filled with urine at people entering Pauline Hanson's public appearances.

A great article. Thanks Mr DT.

Perhaps Pauline can find the pub where Germaine Greer drinks and they can trade moans about how awful Australia is.

Bu give Pauline her due. She doesn't like the place but, instead of doing what most malcontents do, which is stay and whinge endlessly, she is taking the appropriate action.

Of course it's easy to nitpick about Australia if you are so inclined. But there is no other place on earth that is as good as Australia and where there is so much opportunity for folk to achieve what they aspire to.