Andrew Little is off to Australia tomorrow, to stick up for kiwis where John Key won't. In response, the Australians are suggesting that we join them and become part of Australia:
Most Australians would support hardworking Kiwis becoming citizens - and if New Zealand wants closer ties it should become his country's seventh and eighth state, an Australian senator who helped review tough new deportation rules says.
Ian Macdonald, who chaired the parliamentary committee that recommended a new law that has led to the detention and deportation of New Zealanders, said Labour leader Andrew Little's calls for, among other improved rights, access to citizenship for Kiwi expats would be uncontroversial with most Australians.
"The issue of closer ties with New Zealand is one beyond any limited expertise I might have, but as an observer...I would love to have New Zealand join us perhaps as the seventh and eighth state - you can have two. And what a wonderful country it would then be, and I wouldn't need a passport to get across to Queenstown with the wineries, it would be great."
No thanks. Because the three words that spring to mind when I think of Australia are racism, militarism and corruption. Australia has an explicitly racist refugee and immigration policy, which uses arbitrary detention, torture and rendition to keep Australia white. Its always first to sign up to America's imperialist wars, which New Zealand wants no part of. And its political culture is utterly toxic and corrupt, with MPs routinely having to be jailed because they seem incapable of obeying laws against taking bribes or corruptly using their influence to pay off their donors. And that is something that we should want no part of. Joining Australia would be turning to the dark side - and its an offer we should refuse.
