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Australian leaders divided over citizenship comments
Some state leaders are divided over Treasurer Peter Costello's claims that people should be stripped or refused their citizenship if they do not embrace Australian values.New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma says he agrees with Mr Costello and has suggested taking the action even further by applying it to people on temporary or long-term visas. Treasurer Peter Costello has been accused of being deliberately divisive, and preparing for a return to racist immigration policies after comments made in a speech last night. Islamic groups say it is an appeal to conservative voters but Mr Iemma says it is completely reasonable. "No matter what your religion or the colour of your skin, this is a warm and generous and welcoming country - leave the extremism and leave the fights behind," he said. Victorian Premier Steve Bracks says Mr Costello is playing politics. Mr Bracks says Mr Costello is trying to divert people's attention from the Government's role in the AWB scandal. "The reality is that people coming into our country come in accepting our values," he said. "It's self evident, they come in accepting democracy, accepting of course the rule of law more broadly, accepting freedoms that we have here. "That's what they accept when they come in and they sign on to that, of course they do, so Peter Costello's intervention is really about diversion from the Federal Government." Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says Mr Costello's comments were a cheap shot for populist approval "If Peter Costello is trying to appeal back to the 1950s to become the Prime Minister, I think that's a retrograde step," Mr Beattie said. "I just think sometimes leaders have got to stand up - and I know what I'm saying will not be popular in some places - but someone's got to have the guts to say to Peter Costello, if you want to be prime minister, find the things that bring us together, not the things that divide us." But NSW Opposition Leader Peter Debnam says he also endorses Mr Costello's comments. "One of the things I think we need to get rid of is the political correctness and Peter was certainly putting his foot on that last night," Mr Debnam said. Posted by: Slerert Glaick3179 2006-02-24 |
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