The success of Pauline Hanson and her One Nation party in the Queensland elections has "stunned" and "surprised" many political commentators in the establishment press. They are now busy condemning Hanson because of the "divisiveness" she fosters and the adverse effect her policies will have on the economy.
The One Nation monster is one which the media played a large part in helping to create. The racist policies of Hanson have been legitimised by attacks on Aborigines and migrants, which have been an increasing feature in the Australian media over many years.
No sooner had Howard come to power than Kerry Packer's Nine Network's Sunday did an "expose" on alleged "rorts" in ATSIC. This was followed by a barrage of misinformation and distortion on Wik and native title.
Then there have been attacks on the unemployed and single mothers, not to forget the "out of control" and "too powerful" trade unions like the Maritime Union and the CFMEU.
And what about the exaggerated claims of "violence" at the big anti-Hanson protests outside her meetings? This was a deliberate attempt to weaken and divide the anti-racist movement and give respectability to Howard and Beazley's "Ignore her and she'll go away" line.
In the Queensland election campaign, there was a blackout on progressive candidates and parties. The big business media ensured the election would be a tightly run three-horse race. We can expect the same before the federal election.
Green Left Weekly will continue to give prominence to the activists and organisations that have campaigned from the start against Hanson's racism and her and her Coalition allies' reactionary policies. The paper will continue to profile the real opposition to One Nation, Labor and Liberal.
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