(no subject)

[dreamer_easy]

Howard suggests quiz on cricket as part of a test of citizens' knowledge of the Australian way of life. I'll pack my bags, then. Harrangeman takes the piss.

Comments

[mrteufel.livejournal.com]

How inane is that? Does that mean they'll deport people who don't follow cricket? I tell you, it doesn't look good for people who want to bring their grandparents over who may be too old to learn a new language and never heard of cricket... I get it now.

It's not just rabble-rousing* - they want to make it harder for older people to move to Australia because of the aging population!

*Our politicians couldn't be that shallow, could they?

[murasaki-1966.livejournal.com]

It's teh new version of the Tampa incident. Stir up xenophobia ('cause we can't do interest rates any more) to get re-elected.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

To be fair, the cricket thing is probably just a silly remark grabbed by the media as a handy headline. But you've put your finger on the point of the whole business, of course; xenophobia is what's won elections for Howard again and again, and in the absence of boat people he's got to stick it to the immigrants. Since all Labor does is weakly copy him, it will probably work. *groans and holds head*

[mrteufel.livejournal.com]

Well, without some sort of distraction like the Tampa, people might take notice of the speakers long enough to notice they're sans habille. One can only hope. Putting money on the lack of gullibility of the voting public is fraught with peril.