IN A week where the government had to gracelessly backpedal out of endorsing a statement of white supremacy, Tamworth had reason to be proud.
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Government ministers and senators voted in favour of a Pauline Hanson motion which posited that it was “OK to be white”.
No nuance was recognised in the statement by the Liberals and Nationals.
The Human Rights Commission has since blasted the motion and said there was “no place for white supremacist slogans or messages in our society, especially in our parliament”.
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So egregious was its support of the motion, the government asked for the vote to be held again so it could retract its endorsement.
Politicians should only have to look around their chambers or down the hall where the portraits of Australia’s prime ministers hang to see how OK it really is to be white in this country.
Australia purports to be the most successful multicultural society on Earth, but we are constantly reminded how inept we are at putting aside differences and practising compassion.
When plainly written blatant racism is barely recognised by the ruling government, perhaps it’s time to relinquish the aforementioned title.
While Canberra capitulated, Tamworth towered above.
The city’s multicultural street festival Fiesta La Peel drew its biggest-ever crowd.
And now the city has been aired as a possible home for a regionally based ethnic radio station, one of just four locations recommended nationally.
A remarkable turnaround for a city which once voted to close its doors to refugees in 2006.
We sincerely hope this radio station is established in Tamworth so the city’s migrant, refugee and cultural stories are shared and promoted.
So often these stories are imbued with a resilience and strength we could all learn from. If it happens, hopefully it’s also a chance to also share more stories from the region’s, and world’s oldest living, Indigenous culture, too.
