Page 4065 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 24 October 1990
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We all understand that prior to the ACT election last year the Federal Government made a promise that it would fund the ACT for three years. After the election it broke that promise and said that it would fund the ACT for only two years - or that the first year was the one that had previously gone. From that point of view it could have said that it would fund us for 10 years and said that the last eight were the ones that had just gone.
This is an appalling situation and it should not be allowed to go unhandled - or handled simply by asking. When the Federal Government refuses to honour that promise, or its various other responsibilities, we simply should not sit by and allow it to continue. We should stand up as a government and take whatever action - - - (Quorum formed)
It is interesting to note that there is not a single member of the Labor Party in the chamber. I make that point because of the Labor Party's earlier statement concerning the African National Congress. It would appear, particularly from statements made last night during the adjournment debate, that the Labor members are in total support of the ANC; yet they will not allow freedom of speech on the matter. Labor members do not wish to hear anyone suggest any viewpoint other than theirs - which in actuality supports terrorism because that is what the ANC was dedicated to.
I think it highly relevant that we look at what the Federal Government is spending our money on. I think there could be no better way to explain the point than by reading a letter in yesterday's Australian by the chief of the Zulus, Buthelezi. It is headed "South Africa's hideous black violence" and it reads:
Sir - An article by Bruce Haigh, director of the Australia-South Africa Training Trust (26/9), accuses me, among other numerous ghastly deeds, of being "the fire under the South African cauldron".
I seek the opportunity and space to defend myself against some of his appalling accusations and to put forward another perspective on the issue of the hideous black-on-black violence in my country.
His biased, inaccurate and vicious attack on me and the Inkatha Freedom Party sought to present us as the unpopular "bad guys" (to put it mildly) and the African National Congress as the popular "good guys". Simplistic propaganda but nevertheless extremely damaging to us when we are wrongfully accused of being a "cruel and destabilising force ...".
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