Australia Up Close One Nation Party Shocks Australia By DARREN McLEAN	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
白豪主義政党が躍進 先月、オーストラリアのクイーンズランド州で行なわれた州議会選挙で、人種差別的な政策を掲げる新興のワン・ネーション党が、20％を超える得票率で躍進しました。今秋の連邦総選挙の前哨戦とみられているこの選挙の結果は、国内外に衝撃を与えましたーー

Australian politics were thrown into a spin last month after the state government elections in Queensland, my home state. On June 13, Queenslanders visited the polling booths to decide who would govern their state for the next three years. Nobody estimated the impact that the election results would have on Australia's political future.

In the past, Australian politics have been a battle of the Labor, the Liberal and the National parties. But the emergence of Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party this year has shaken traditional Australian politics. With One Nation's harsh and, I believe, immoral policies — including anti-immigration and cutting welfare for Australian Aboriginals — no one imagined that in its debut election One Nation would receive 23 percent of Queenslanders' votes.

In fact the election results were so extraordinary that 12 days after the election it was still not clear which was the winning party. The only sure thing was that Pauline Hanson and her One Nation Party had catapulted into Australian politics as a force to be reckoned with.

The uncertainty ended when Peter Wellington, a Queensland farmer and independent candidate who won the seat of Nicklin, decided it was in Queensland's best interests to give his support to the Labor Party. This allowed Labor to claim victory by the narrowest of margins, 45 out of 89 seats, forming a minority government led by the new premier of state, Peter Beattie.

Although I voted for the Liberal Party and support their policies, Labor's victory was a blessing in disguise. If the Liberal Party had regained power, One Nation would have held the balance of power in the government, resulting in more freedom to implement its potentially disastrous policies.

It took little time for One Nation's success to make worldwide headlines. American news giant CNN focused on Pauline Hanson's opposition to Asian immigration and Aboriginal welfare, implying Australians embraced these racist views.

It was also reported that overseas students began cancelling plans to study in Queensland due to the election outcome. Gold Coast Ethnic Communities Vice President James Tan said, "I wouldn't be surprised if universities lost potential students, as a lot of them seem to be pulling out."

One Nation's move into parliament will undoubtedly affect foreign investment and tourism. Gold Coast business leaders have rushed to Singapore and Malaysia to meet with investors and ensure them Queensland is still an excellent place to invest.

Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce President John Witheriff says that international investors need a fast explanation as to what is going on. "They are becoming increasingly nervous. The popularity of One Nation is a real concern to them," he said.

The massive swing in Queensland toward the One Nation Party shows the bewilderment and lack of confidence that Australians in general feel about their current government.

Maryanne Green, from Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, was one of the many who voted for the One Nation Party. She said, "Even though I don't necessarily agree with all of Pauline Hanson's policies, her party is the only one who seemed to give direction and certainty."

In the lead-up to a federal election, Prime Minister John Howard called an emergency meeting to assess the collapse of support for the Liberal and National parties. Howard said he is seriously rethinking his campaign to ensure that the rest of Australia does not follow Queensland's suit in the upcoming election.

Pre-election opinion polls predicted One Nation's success in Queensland but the party was never considered a serious political threat. The latest federal opinion poll shows support for One Nation continuing to rise.

Many genuinely concerned Queenslanders voted for One Nation to protest the current government rather than to support One Nation's policies. Little did they know what impact they would have on and off Australian shores.

Shukan ST: July 10, 1998

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