Page 1212 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 March 1991
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I worked in the United States on a campaign for John F. Kennedy and I was shocked at the amount of money spent on campaigns there. It ran into millions. They had this great slogan: "Anybody can become President of the United States if he was born in the US" - that is, if he has millions and millions of dollars backing him, because there is no other way he will make it. The campaign I was assisting in was one of the worst racist campaigns I have ever seen. There were advertisements saying, "If you want a nigger for a neighbour, vote for this particular candidate" or "If you want to see America turned into a little China, vote for this candidate".
It was one of the most shocking campaigns I have ever seen and it had an enormous effect on the results of the election. Unfortunately, afterwards people said, "We did not really mean to vote against this person, but those ads did have an effect. We did not look at it as a racist campaign". They thought America was going to be turned into a little China and they were anti-Chinese and anti anybody who was not the same colour as them.
The real worry, of course, is groups such as the League of Rights, the large gun lobbies of the United States and South Africa, the Logos Foundation and any other organisation that is racist and against the rights of every Australian. Some of these organisations are the organisations from which Mr Stevenson, I am sure, would be receiving backing. I am sure he would be receiving backing for television because he would need it to pay for the television ads. Let me tell you, these are the people who pay for it.
Mr Stevenson: Would you write to them and tell them to send a cheque soon.
MRS GRASSBY: These silly organisations gave the cheques to a very well-known party that we all know and they did not even try not to declare them. The cheques from the South African organisation went to a bank in a particular country town. The silly secretary of this well-known party did not even bother to try to wash the money somewhere else; the cheque was put straight into the account. We all know that. That happened in a large party we all know of, including the speaker who spoke just a few minutes ago. They were not really bright. May I say that they should make sure that in country towns they have better party treasurers.
Organisations such as those I have just mentioned have millions of dollars to spend to push their barrows. People like Mr Stevenson are a godsend to them. Not only is he able to push their barrows in the Assembly; he is able to do it through the media as well.
Mr Stevenson: Why don't you survey the people the same way I do to find out how they vote, not to find out how to send them letters?
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