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Craig Emerson, the Federal Member for Rankin

Craig Emerson MP: only by confronting wedge politics head-on

Craig Emerson is the Federal Member for Rankin, QLD - situated between Brisbane and the Gold Coast - having won the seat at the 1998 election. He is Labor's Shadow Minister for Workplace Relations."

Photo: Mr Emerson, listening to one of his constituents (from his website)

"Ultimately [John Howard's strategy] comes down to this: splitting the nation in two and picking up the bigger half. These are the tactics the Liberals imported into Australia in the lead-up to the 2001 election. Now they're at it again, casting around for a racially or socially divisive issue."

Update 2009: After Labor won the election in 2007, Mr Emerson was appointed the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy and the Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation in the Rudd Government in December 2007.

Electorate Office: Parliament House Office:
Logan Central Plaza
Wembley Road, Logan Plaza
Phone (07) 3299 5910
Fax (07) 3208 8744

PO BOX 349
Woodridge QLD 4114
R1113 Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Phone (02) 6277 4659
Fax (02) 6277 8418
Email: Craig.Emerson.mp@aph.gov.au
Website: http://www.craigemersonmp.com/

"Ultimately it comes down to this: splitting the nation in two and picking up the bigger half. These are the tactics the Liberals imported into Australia in the lead-up to the 2001 election. Now they're at it again, casting around for a racially or socially divisive issue."

Only by confronting wedge politics head-on can we ensure that the tragedy of the 2001 federal election - which John Howard grabbed through a shameful campaign of dog whistles and lies - is not repeated in the 2004 election."

"Instead of being praised as a political genius, Howard must be condemned for his lack of real leadership, his immorality and his destruction of social cohesion in this country."

Craig Emerson

The wedge-master is at it again

From The Age
By Craig Emerson
November 15, 2003

Politicians don't often venture to comment on campaign strategy. It's meant to be an invisible art, practised by a few experts and of not much interest to those outside politics. But in the modern politics practised by the conservatives, campaign strategy has to be watched more closely. That's because the actions of a few are starting to endanger our society. Their actions are tearing apart Australia's social cohesion.

I'm talking about that phrase "wedge politics".

In essence, wedge politics is simple. It involves: picking fights on divisive issues like race, sexuality and welfare and forcing your opponents to defend the minority; pushing national security issues to the top of the agenda and calling into question the patriotism of your opponents; and using dirty tactics to divide your opponents from their major public supporters.

Ultimately it comes down to this: splitting the nation in two and picking up the bigger half.

These are the tactics the Liberals imported into Australia in the lead-up to the 2001 election. Now they're at it again, casting around for a racially or socially divisive issue.

Only by confronting wedge politics head-on can we ensure that the tragedy of the 2001 federal election - which John Howard grabbed through a shameful campaign of dog whistles and lies - is not repeated in the 2004 election.

I want to open a discussion among the press and the people about the campaigning tactics now being employed by John Howard to prepare the ground for the next election. We know what the likely issues will be. Some have already begun to be pushed by John Howard.

Refugees. Just last week the Government used the arrival of 14 refugees on Melville Island to reintroduce regulations to excise 4000 islands from Australia's migration zone. The Government would have us believe we're being overrun by 14 Kurds and that to repel the invasion we have to remove 4000 islands from our migration borders.

Listen to minister Vanstone's rhetoric: "Fourteen today, it might be 1400 tomorrow. What would people then say?"

It's a naked appeal to fear and xenophobia. Let's say so, loud and clear.

Terrorists like Willie Brigitte have plenty of money. They don't have to risk a long, hazardous boat trip. They arrive by plane, equipped with tourist visas issued by the Howard Government.

Anti-terrorist laws. At every step since September 11, Labor has gone out of its way to be bipartisan on national security, and to find the right balance between defeating terrorists and defending the rights that we are fighting for.

Despite this, John Howard repeatedly refuses our offer of bipartisanship because his real objective is clear - to paint Labor as weak on terrorism. It's a disgraceful slur.

The Willie Brigitte fiasco has demonstrated the incompetence of the Howard Government, not any inadequacy of the current anti-terrorism laws that give ASIO stronger powers than the FBI or MI5. But minister Ruddock immediately called for stronger ASIO powers. Tougher laws wouldn't have stopped the Howard Government issuing a tourist visa to a terrorist.

By calling for yet more anti-terrorism laws when it is failing to use the laws at their disposal, Howard and Ruddock are seeking to capitalise on anti-Muslim sentiment.

It's dirty wedge politics, playing on anti-Muslim prejudice. Let's say so, loud and clear.

Gay marriage. In August the Prime Minister raised the issue of gay marriage, in a direct copy of a tactic used the previous week by George Bush. Here's what he said: "Marriage is about children, having children, raising them, providing for the survival of the species."

Even though legislation is both unnecessary and hasn't got a chance of passing the Senate, don't be surprised if John Howard introduces a bill into the House before the election to ban gay marriage.

It's a direct appeal to prejudices against gays, lesbians and single parents. Let's say so, loud and clear.

Our elections should be a contest of policies, unclouded by bigotry or racism. And for that to occur, the media must not condone John Howard's wedge tactics again. When the wedges are hammered into Australian society, Howard as wedge-master should not be lauded by the media as a ruthlessly brilliant politician, as he was for his manipulation of the Tampa.

Let's keep US-style wedge politics out of Australia and make the Tampa election an aberration never to be repeated.

This is an edited extract from federal Labor frontbencher Craig Emerson's speech in Melbourne yesterday to the National Union of Workers. [Note: full text of the speech is on Craig Emerson's website]

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/14/1068674380814.html