Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06CANBERRA1425
2006-09-15 05:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Canberra
Cable title:
KIM BEAZLEY TAKES A HIT AND SCORES A HIT ON
how-toVZCZCXRO3910 PP RUEHPB DE RUEHBY #1425 2580513 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 150513Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5702 INFO RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY PRIORITY 1642 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 4746 RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE PRIORITY 3097 RUEHBAD/AMCONSUL PERTH PRIORITY 1683 RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY PRIORITY 1060
C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 001425
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV SMIG AS
SUBJECT: KIM BEAZLEY TAKES A HIT AND SCORES A HIT ON
"AUSTRALIAN VALUES" PLEDGE PROPOSAL FOR VISA APPLICANTS
REF: A. CANBERRA 1172 B. CANBERRA 1244
Classified By: Political Counselor James F. Cole. REASONS: 1.4 (b) and
(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L CANBERRA 001425
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV SMIG AS
SUBJECT: KIM BEAZLEY TAKES A HIT AND SCORES A HIT ON
"AUSTRALIAN VALUES" PLEDGE PROPOSAL FOR VISA APPLICANTS
REF: A. CANBERRA 1172 B. CANBERRA 1244
Classified By: Political Counselor James F. Cole. REASONS: 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (C/NF) SUMMARY: On September 11 Labor Party (ALP) leader
Kim Beazley proposed that all Australian visa forms contain a
commitment to respect Australian laws and institutions.
Prime Minister John Howard -- who also used the anniversary
of the twin towers attack for his own anti-terrorism message
-- praised the general idea but criticized the proposal for
including tourists and other nonimmigrants. Members of the
ALP's own caucus charged that Beazley's plan undermined the
ALP's own values. However, as Labor's Shadow Minister for
Immigration told us September 14, calls on public talk radio
in New South Wales ran 3 to 1 in favor of the proposal.
Despite the criticism within his own party, the proposal
indicates that Mr. Beazley will not cede the important blue
collar anti-immigration voters to the Coalition without a
fight. END SUMMARY
2. (U) On the fifth anniversary of September 11 ALP Leader
Kim Beazley proposed that all visa forms contain a signed
commitment by the applicant to respect Australian values and
laws. He said that he firmly believed that commitment to
Australian values of mutual respect, mateship, fairness,
freedom and respect for the law were important strengths in
the fight against extremism and terrorism.
3. (U) PM Howard, who said the same day that Muslim leaders
should do more to condemn terrorism, responded that while the
Government was planning to highlight commitment to Australian
values for citizenship ceremonies and intending immigrants,
it would be pointless to require tourists to do so. Not to
be outdone by the Opposition, he added that he "very, very
strongly" supported a full-bodied commitment to Australian
values. At the end of the week, both politicians published
dueling opinions on the importance of Australian values in
the Sydney Morning Herald.
3. (C/NF) ALP Shadow Immigration Minister Tony Burke
(Protect) told Poloffs this week that the point Mr. Beazley
was trying to make was that a commitment to Australian values
needed to be made by anyone coming to live in Australia on a
visa, and not just citizens, as the Government proposed.
Burke said they had never planned to include tourists in
their proposal and that oversight had muddied their message.
The good news, however, was that the calls to the talk radio
programs in New South Wales were running 3 to 1 in favor of
the proposal.
4. (C/NF) COMMENT: Mr. Beazley wrote in his Sydney Morning
Herald opinion piece that as an Australian who embraced
multiculturalism and immigration, he could not sit back and
watch John Howard manipulate values for political ends. What
he really meant was that he could not allow John Howard to be
the only one to use "the values issue" for political gain.
As noted in reftels, next year's Federal elections will be in
part a fight for "Howard's Battlers" and these conservative
blue-collar voters have always reacted favorably to an
"Australian values" immigration message.
MCCALLLUM
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV SMIG AS
SUBJECT: KIM BEAZLEY TAKES A HIT AND SCORES A HIT ON
"AUSTRALIAN VALUES" PLEDGE PROPOSAL FOR VISA APPLICANTS
REF: A. CANBERRA 1172 B. CANBERRA 1244
Classified By: Political Counselor James F. Cole. REASONS: 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (C/NF) SUMMARY: On September 11 Labor Party (ALP) leader
Kim Beazley proposed that all Australian visa forms contain a
commitment to respect Australian laws and institutions.
Prime Minister John Howard -- who also used the anniversary
of the twin towers attack for his own anti-terrorism message
-- praised the general idea but criticized the proposal for
including tourists and other nonimmigrants. Members of the
ALP's own caucus charged that Beazley's plan undermined the
ALP's own values. However, as Labor's Shadow Minister for
Immigration told us September 14, calls on public talk radio
in New South Wales ran 3 to 1 in favor of the proposal.
Despite the criticism within his own party, the proposal
indicates that Mr. Beazley will not cede the important blue
collar anti-immigration voters to the Coalition without a
fight. END SUMMARY
2. (U) On the fifth anniversary of September 11 ALP Leader
Kim Beazley proposed that all visa forms contain a signed
commitment by the applicant to respect Australian values and
laws. He said that he firmly believed that commitment to
Australian values of mutual respect, mateship, fairness,
freedom and respect for the law were important strengths in
the fight against extremism and terrorism.
3. (U) PM Howard, who said the same day that Muslim leaders
should do more to condemn terrorism, responded that while the
Government was planning to highlight commitment to Australian
values for citizenship ceremonies and intending immigrants,
it would be pointless to require tourists to do so. Not to
be outdone by the Opposition, he added that he "very, very
strongly" supported a full-bodied commitment to Australian
values. At the end of the week, both politicians published
dueling opinions on the importance of Australian values in
the Sydney Morning Herald.
3. (C/NF) ALP Shadow Immigration Minister Tony Burke
(Protect) told Poloffs this week that the point Mr. Beazley
was trying to make was that a commitment to Australian values
needed to be made by anyone coming to live in Australia on a
visa, and not just citizens, as the Government proposed.
Burke said they had never planned to include tourists in
their proposal and that oversight had muddied their message.
The good news, however, was that the calls to the talk radio
programs in New South Wales were running 3 to 1 in favor of
the proposal.
4. (C/NF) COMMENT: Mr. Beazley wrote in his Sydney Morning
Herald opinion piece that as an Australian who embraced
multiculturalism and immigration, he could not sit back and
watch John Howard manipulate values for political ends. What
he really meant was that he could not allow John Howard to be
the only one to use "the values issue" for political gain.
As noted in reftels, next year's Federal elections will be in
part a fight for "Howard's Battlers" and these conservative
blue-collar voters have always reacted favorably to an
"Australian values" immigration message.
MCCALLLUM