- "In Australia we can take great pride in being world leaders in the democratic project. The continuing rise of democracy is based on the simple, universal and powerful truth that governments should ultimately be accountable to, ruled by and governed for the people."

I agree. Though Costello's successful battle against releasing FOI documents is a step in the wrong direction.

Outside of the media, not many people seem to care. But government secrecy is quite possibly the most important issue we face.

Government accountability is paramount, and ours doesn't rate highly in it's open attitude.

Yeah, I'm pushing a wheelbarrow here. But it's an important one, all too easily overlooked.

In general, a nice piece summing up why it is good to be Australian and live in Australia.

It's a pity about the undemocratic enforcement of the silly and dangerous policy of muliticulturalism, though.

Pete’s right because at one time we did celebrate democracy, mateship and country.

Where did democracy go? At one time 91% of Australians were against multicultural ideals so what did we get? Multiculturalism. So much for democracy. Mateship. What does that mean these days? Walk down the streets of some suburbs and say “G’day mate” and you’ll be told in a foreign accent to F%^& off, you skip. So much for mateship. Country? Just recently we found about 20,000 proud Australians living in South Lebanon. Yeah, they just love Australia.

Pete need not remind us of multiculturalism. There are 7.2 billion reasons to remember multiculturalism. That’s how many dollars - AUD$7.2 billion - we the taxpayers spend each year on propping it up. That must be a lot of comfort to those on hospital waiting lists.

Yes Pete racism exists in Oz. Both political parties actively promote racism because through migration we have imported many racist cultures so there is little chance of us getting rid of the racist tag. Just what some of these cultures add to our identity remains obscure. Is it uplifting to see females wearing a black tent because they are told to do so? I don’t see a reason to celebrate that type of thing. I totally reject some of the vileness being imported into our country. I don’t see anything edifying about slitting the throat of an animal while facing a certain direction. Believe it or not we were told to reject such cruelty at one time in our ‘national story’ but now we’re told it’s OK. How enriching is cruelty?

There can be no inclusive national story if we have multi anything

"Mateship" is largely a male thing. In everyday contexts males, some more then others, will call other males "mate". Women,irrespective of age or looks, are rarely called "mate" and rarely call other women "mate".
It is no more then ideological propoganda, put largely by the male dominated Oz media that suggests that "mateship" is oh so Oztralian.
In proper English, mating is what males and females do together when they want to do what they do together to make babies.
Aborting the meaning of words is wrong.

Sounds like someone pushing the high immigration charter here. The usual story. People in priveleged positions deciding steer the country in a direction irrespective of what the people want, just to keep a grip on power. Corporations demand multiculturalism not Australians. Australia needs a dominant ancestry and a shared cultural heritage, and that is anglo. Anything else is a willfull attempt by malcontents to maintain control.

I note with interest 2 things.

1/ Australia is a multicultural, multilayered nation.... (from the author)
2/ The Authors position as Executive Officer of the Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria.

Now.. the immediate question arises is...WHY do we need an 'ETHNIC' communities council ? why ?

What is the other side of this coin ?

You cannot have an 'ethnic' anything, unless it derives it's meaning from the 'non ethnic'...now who would that be ?

So, in short, the very EXISTENCE of an 'ethnic' this or that, is evidence that there IS another group, a LARGE group of people who do not fall into the category of 'ethnic'.

Does the ethnic council persue goals which are in the interests of the 'ethnic communities' that are against the interests of the "non" ethnic ? (like more lax immigration) If so, why ? Perhaps putting this positively "They persue an agenda which promotes the interests of the Ethnic communities"...now..what would THAT be ?

Is it possible to promote the interests of one segment of the community without compromising the interests of another ?

One of the first points where it is in the 'interests' of ethnic communities to make big gains is in point 1 above.

"Australia is a multi layered society"..... is it ?

What are the proportions of the layers ? Is one layer that which gave the country its fundamental legal and political shape ? You BET it is, and it is symbolized by the Union Jack ! That "layer" might comprise 3 major ethnicities (English/Scottish/Irish/Welsh) with the English alone probably the most mixed (Angles,Saxons,Jutes,Normans)
But they still formed the basic cultural flavor of 'Australia' to which all others have come.

Still, by the time they came here, they were identifiable as an integrated group. So, why suddenly do we have 'ethnic' councils ?

The more I think about this the more disturbing it gets.