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Racial policy of John Howard
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This article discusses the racial policy of former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, both in opposition and government, from 1980 to 2007.
1981
When the South African Springboks rugby team embarked on their controversial 1981 tour of New Zealand, John Howard as Treasurer of Australia voiced his opposition to the Fraser government's ban stopping the Springbok's aircraft refuelling on Australian territory.
1985
As deputy leader of the opposition, John Howard opposed the use of sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa.
On 1 August, 1988, during an interview on the John Laws radio programme, Howard flagged his One Australia policy on multiculturalism, and expressed his wish to bias immigration intake towards skilled applicants rather than family reunion.
Howard's Shadow Finance Minister, John Stone, elaborated by saying: "Asian immigration has to be slowed. It's no use dancing around the bushes."
Howard's stance on Asian immigration received widespread criticism from within his own party, including criticism from Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett, New South Wales Premier Nick Greiner, former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, as well as former immigration ministers Ian Macphee and Michael MacKellar.
In an unusual show of dissent, three Liberal MPs, Ian Macphee, Steele Hall and Phillip Ruddock, defied their leader by crossing the floor and voting with the Labor government.
Criticising his leader's policy, Liberal MP Steele Hall said in a speech to Parliament:
"The question has quickly descended from a discussion about the future migrant intake to one about the level of internal racial tolerance. The simple fact is that public opinion is easily led on racial issues. It is now time to unite the community on the race issue before it flares into an ugly reproach for us all."
The policy detailed a vision of "one nation and one future", which included the rejection of Aboriginal land rights, . The title "One Australia" was a term personally chosen by Howard.
2001
During the 2001 election campaign, Howard used the slogan:
"We will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come."
Pauline Hanson said of Howard: "It has been widely recognised by all, including the media, that John Howard sailed home on One Nation policies. In short, if we were not around, John Howard would not have made the decisions he did."
2002
Howard admitted his 1988 statements about Asian immigration had been wrong. In May 2002, he said:
"My instinct is that Asian-Australians are very much part of the community now. I think it (their integration) has been quicker. I just don't hear people talking about it now, even as much as they did five years ago, and I have an electorate which is very Asian."
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