The so-called Pacific solution ran from 2001 to 2007. Now we’ve seen similar policies put forward by both sides of parliament. What are your thoughts on that?
It goes to the heart of federal Labor’s problem. They spent 10 years shadowing Howard and basically trying to appeal to the same prejudices that seemed to keep winning him elections, so when they took power they didn’t really have a clear idea, except that the polls said that being harsh on refugees was popular, so the voices within the Labor Party, and Liberal, to be fair, that wanted a more humane refugees policy, didn’t really get heard. There are still people within the parties that don’t agree with the way that it’s going but they just don’t have the numbers. In much the same way Labor continues with the NT Intervention. They’re issues that seem to be popular. It’s just a complete lack of leadership, in the same way that the Libs showed a complete lack of leadership with Pauline Hanson and let that get out of control, when all you really needed was for someone to stand up and say, “This is crap!” I mean, whoever came up with the Malaysian solution, it’s very Machiavellian. In the end you’re just trading human lives. I found that whole thing very reprehensible.
I’ve noticed that you’re taking part in the Walk Together campaign, headed by www.welcometoaustralia.org.au/. How did you get involved in that?
Well, I got approached by Brad Chilcott, who’s one of the organisers. They’re just looking for people who have been outspoken about the issue in the past. It’s cool, you know, people like Jessica Rowe, we’re following each other on Twitter now, she’s just written a really good piece for Hoopla online. Also people like Father Bob and Jarrod McKenna giving the churches’ side of it. I think it’s a really good campaign, it’s got a broad spectrum and we’ve all got our own networks through which we can raise awareness. It’s almost dovetailing into some other campaigns like the Letters for Rangini, the Sri Lankan mum who’s in Villawood at the moment, it’s good, it’s bringing people together. It’s a hard issue to try and stay positive about, so it’s good to have these moments of unity.
I find as a nation we tend to be incredibly selfish, and everyone likes to think they’re self-made, but we jealously guard this privilege like it’s a right, like we’ve earned it in some way, when we didn’t. I don’t see how people can ignore the contribution that migrants have made to this country. Like the electricity that you use to charge your phone, most of it comes from the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric scheme, which was built by migrants after World War II. I probably wouldn’t be a musician if it wasn’t for refugees. My first DJ, Alf, came over from Vietnam when he was 10, and given his experiences, even though they were hard for him, just shows how much we’ve regressed as a country since the 80s. I think we were a less fearful country then and we had a desire to be more cosmopolitan. For me the two issues, reconciliation and respect for the First Australians and the treatment of refugees, are tied together. I think in the nation’s psyche there’s a problem with a sense of self-loathing and people don’t want to accept it. That’s why it’s easier to blame the individual, like those kids that got shot in the cross: “They deserved it.” People that get on boats that are fleeing persecution: “They’re just opportunists.”
Do you every feel like you’re fighting a losing battle, or is it a case of a very noisy minority?
If all you consumed was talk-back radio like Alan Jones and you read all of Murdoch’s papers, you’d end up thinking half the world is out to blow up the harbour bridge. It’s fear and ignorance that breeds small mindedness and hatred. It is an uphill battle but I think if you believe in stuff you’ve got to keep fighting for it and keep expressing it, which is why music can be a bit of an alternative media in some ways. After the Herd did “Only 19” we had all these people from the armed services following us and coming to shows, to the point where we played at a funeral of a soldier who died in Afghanistan, at his widow’s request. It just goes to show that people’s beliefs are a whole mash-up of different things. There are people in armed services who don’t think they should be in Afghanistan and don’t know why they’re there. It is possible to engage people and to make them think.
