Refugees: "Echoes of Apartheid"

You don't forget spending quality time with Nelson Mandela.

It was an event at Sydney University I'd helped organise and Prime Minister Howard was trying to share the great man's spotlight. Though scrupulously polite, Mandela wasn't impressed; he well remembered Howard's support of the apartheid regime and his backing of Thatcher's opposition to sanctions. Fortunately Malcolm Fraser was there reminding everyone in earshot of Howard's hypocrisy. Mandela asked me how Paul Keating was getting on.

Compared to the White Australia Policy, apartheid was a flash in the pan, lasting from 1948 to 1994. Our version of apartheid - keeping the wrong-coloured humans out of the country - began at Federation and lasted until 1973, when Whitlam finally killed it off. Some scholars suggest that white South Africa had learnt a few wrinkles from White Australia.

I mention the connections between Australia and South Africa, and policies of bigotry, because of our treatment of refugees. When the end was nigh for apartheid many whites headed for the exits. Perhaps encouraged by Howard's attitudes, quite a few chose Australia as their destination. No need for leaky boats - they could afford to be up front in Qantas. No foreign minister accused them of being illegals, queue jumpers or "economic migrants", let alone of being terrorists or baby-drowners. They were the right colour. They were Christian.

Imagine an exodus of whites leaving another part of Africa, say Mugabe's Zimbabwe. Driven from their farms or comfortable lives in Harare, they head in our direction. Does anyone believe for a second that they'd be turned away? That Abbott would be chanting "turn back the boats"? Or that Rudd would be planning to imprison them in PNG? Or would Abbott and his spiritual adviser, Cardinal Pell - and Kevin Rudd, disciple of Bonhoeffer - be waiting at the dock, their faces wreathed in smiles? Singing hymns. Perhaps Onward Christian Soldiers.

Our refugee policies are an echo of the White Australia Policy. They are aimed at brown people. They are aimed at Muslims. The whole thing is conducted in code and euphemism, but that's the truth of it. Boat people represent a minuscule percentage of would-be and official immigrants, barely a blip in the statistics. But Australian politicians across the increasingly narrow spectrum have long since embraced the bigotries of Pauline Hanson for political advantage.

Before Tampa, Phil Ruddock threatened to jail anyone who harboured an escapee from Villawood or Woomera. For 10 years. I pointed out that this was a longer term than many got for murder - and asked readers to put their names to a public register of dissidents. Within a few weeks 10,000 readers of this conservative newspaper did so, saying they'd happily hide escapees in the attic and expressing their disgust with Howard and the shamefully acquiescent Beazley. I asked for donations to help refugee advocacy. A million dollars arrived by return mail. I'd never seen a response on this scale in my long experience of journalism. We used the money to establish an overarching organisation lumberingly entitled Australians for Just Refugee Policies, later simplified to A Just Australia.

Point being that for every bigot who wants the boats turned around - or sunk - there is an Australian who is ashamed of our treatment of "reffos" (people often fleeing wars that Australia helped wage), but their voices are drowned by the shock jocks and politicians who wildly exaggerate the "problem" for electoral advantage. That gave Howard his dark victory after Tampa, which Abbott wants to emulate - and Rudd wants to kybosh with PNG.

If you don't like what's happening, join in protesting it. Say it loud and clear. Not in my Australia. Not in my name.

Phillip Adams in the Weekend Australian 10 August 2013.