Indigenous leader agrees with Maori MP: 'Howard is a racist bastard'
“I completely agree with New Zealand Maori Party MP Hone Harawira that Prime Minister John Howard, by attacking
marginalized Aboriginal communities, is a ‘racist bastard’,” Aboriginal leader and Socialist Alliance Indigenous
spokesperson Sam Watson said in response to Harawira’s controversial comments.
“By stating that ‘John Howard is a racist bastard, imposing racist policies on a people who are not in a position to
fight back’ Harawira is showing that people can see the truth from across the Tasman,” Watson continued. “Howard’s new
‘Tampa’, demonizing the oppressed to grab votes, clearly won’t work.”
“Howard has proven himself as a ‘racist bastard’ every day in government. For over ten years, his ‘racist bastard’
government has cut funding of Indigenous services, smashed Indigenous organisations, stolen Indigenous land, and railed
against the real history of Aboriginal oppression as “black armband”, Watson said. “Now, in the lead up to an election,
‘racist bastard’ Howard suddenly shows ‘compassion’ for Aboriginal children by sending troops into their communities and
pushing apartheid policies.”
“Yes, there is great suffering to be addressed in Aboriginal communities, thanks to the likes of the ‘racist bastard’
Howard. Real solutions require schools, hospitals, doctors, housing, jobs and more empowerment of Aboriginal communities
– Howard’s plan does the opposite. Mutitjulu is crying out for a dialysis machine to deal with kidney disease - yet
Howard is sending in shock-troops. Police numbers are being boosted days after the acquittal of a police officer who
admitted causing the death of an Aboriginal man in custody. Where was John Howard’s concern for Indigenous people when
Mulrunji had his liver split in two and received no justice?”
“The Maori Party MP was spot on about Howard, and we need politicians in Australia who will stand up in parliament and
point out the ugly truth about such racist bastards. That’s why I’m standing for the Socialist Alliance, who proudly
support all those under attack – Aboriginal people, refugees, unionists, students, women and more – and fight against
the racist bastards.”
Watson and other Aboriginal leaders have called for national protests this Saturday, July 14 as part of NAIDOC week. The Brisbane protest will commence at 11am at Queens Park, Cnr Elizabeth
and George Sts, city.
ENDS