The Nationals real concern is not that there will be a rash of "new Pauline Hansons," but that the Coalition's "existing Pauline Hansons," who riddle the organisation and openly sympathise with the views of the ratbag right, will desert them to join One Nation. * Source: "Ratbags in the ranks: Hanson, the Coalition and the Far-Right" Green Left Weekly #281, 16 July 1997. All rights reserved, Green Left Weekly. Redistribution permitted with this notice attached. Redistribution for profit prohibited. E-mail: greenleft@peg.apc.org Web: www.peg.apc.org/~greenleft menon and they don't. We are big fans of The other Asia Graeme [Campbell] but his movement [Australia First] doesn't seem to be getting any steam at all."
Hanson and Ettridge's differences with the other far-right groups are essentially tactical and organisational. On the level of policies and ideology, there is little conflict. ALR, AAFI and Australia First remain enthusiastic supporters of Hanson and, in reality, continue to launch, or participate in, new
Sri Lanka: NSSP wins court case
The Supreme Court has supported a complaint lodged by the New Sama
Samaja Party (NSSP) against police obbased group is one of the most dynamic Indonesia solidarity campaigns.
Resolutions passed at the 23-24 August conference called for the Indonesian government to demilitarise West Papua, and the Australian government to cease supplying arms and training to struction of their 1996 May Day rally. Ac-. the Indonesian military forces there.
Hanson and Ettridge know that in order to create a party capable of making a significant electoral impact nationally they must allow those far-right groups with resources and troops on the ground an important role.
According to Ron Boswell, "One Nation advertised in May for members in the antiSemitic, racist and extremist rag The which has links with the most extreme sections of the Australian and international far-right.
One Nation leaders want to avoid the impression that the party is an umbrella group for the nutty far-right. Their sights are set on two goals: attracting members and voters away from the far-right wing of the Coalition parties, especially in its rural heartlands, and winning support from sections of the urban working class with the most backward attitudes. Defections from the "respectable" right
One Nation has already made progress towards the first goal. On May 9, David Oldfield, electoral secretary to Liberal MP Tony Abbott and a former Liberal candidate in the 1995 New South Wales (NSW) elections, defected to join Hanson's staff. Former Liberal Western Australia MP Paul Filing, now an independent, has aligned himself with Hanson and says other Liberal MPs are considering jumping ship.
Many other Coalition figures and bodies have expressed support for Hanson. Including Malcolm Brooks, NSW Liberal Party state executive member and Gosford branch cording to the Colombo-based Sunday Times, "in a powerful judgement that confirmed the supremacy of the constitutional right to freedom of expression over all subordinate laws, the Supreme Court reprimanded the police for prohibiting the NSSP May Day procession, while permitting other political parties to proceed with their rallies."
The NSSP demonstration was repeatedly attacked by police using batons and teargas. Police officers told the court that the Party, Sri Lankan section of the Fourth International, was acting in defiance of a Presidential proclamation banning demonstrations because of an alleged threat from "terrorists" linked to the separatist Tamil Tigers.
The Judge noted that police took no action against May Day rallies by the LSSP and the SLFP, parties which support the Peoples Alliance government.
The plaintiff, NSSP Central Committee member P.D. Saranapala, was awarding costs of Rs 15,000 ($268) * Source: Sunday Times (Colombo), 20 July 1997. Indonesia-Timor solidarity conference
Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET) has fixed its priorities for the coming year. The Australian-
British solidarity groups will be invited to co-ordinate campaigning on oil resources and the Timor Gap
The conference recognised a "lack of follow-up work" in initiatives targeting Australia's labour movement. It was also resolved to build closer links to the Sanctuary Network, which helps refugees go underground rather than face deportation. Australian government recently renewed plans to deport East Timorese refugees to Portugal, the colonial power until 1974. [See September issue]
Initiatives focusing on women in Indonesia and East Timor will be developed to connect with the forthcoming International Day of Action against Nike and the Free Dita Sari campaign. The struggle of Indonesian and Timorese women will also be brought to the forefront in annual women's gatherings include Reclaim the Night and International Women's Day through leaflets, petitions and stalls.
ASIET will push student organisations to adopt political prisoners, and pledge their facilities as designated places of asylum for East Timorese refugees.
A wide range of organisations were represented at the conference, which had 124 participants. [A/JD] * Contact: ASIET, PO Box 458, Broadway NSW 2007, Australia. Tel: 02-96901230 Fax: 96901381 Email: asiet@peg.apc.org Website: www.apc.orgl-asiet
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