Youth reject Hanson's racist push

By Bill Mason

BRISBANE — "Young people in Australia will overwhelmingly reject Pauline Hanson's attempt to set up a One Nation youth wing", according to Zanny Begg, Brisbane organiser of the socialist youth organisation Resistance.

"Hanson's so-called Young Nation body is an attempt to play on the despair felt by young people about poverty and unemployment, and turn our anger into a hopeless search for scapegoats among Aborigines and migrants", Begg said.

Spokesperson for the Youth Affairs Network of Queensland, Sandra Fields, said, "All the young people I have spoken with are horrified about Pauline Hanson's attitude to indigenous relations and her general attitude towards Australia. I can't see any positives in this Young Nation."

YANQ member Matthew Roberts, 14, said from what he had seen on television, it appeared Hanson's followers were largely older people. "It looks like they have been waiting for someone to say something and they are backing her up", he said. "You always see the young people are the ones protesting against her."

Resistance is calling on young people to turn out in massive numbers to protest against Pauline Hanson's One Nation party launch on the Gold Coast on July 1. The Brisbane Anti-Racist Campaign is sponsoring the protest outside the Arts Centre, Bundall Street, Chevron Island, on July 1 from 5.30pm. Buses will be available at 4pm and 5.30pm from Brisbane. For more information, phone (07) 3254 0565 or 3871 1446.

From GLW issue 278