Why Australia "Had to Have" High Interest Rates
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CRA is a world leader in the productir~nof aluminium, iron ore, lead,zinc, silver, copper, gold, caul, diamonds and salt. For erample, CRA k A'gyIe Diamond Mines operations contribute over 37% of aN tbe diamonds mined in Austrulia. IPA REVIEW mABLISHED IN 1917 BY CHARLES KEMP. FOUNDING DlRECrOR OF THE INSITWE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS Vol. 44 No. 4 1991 Democracy in Trade Unions 5 Fred Nile, Offensive Books and Literary Stuart Wood Judgment Recent legislation has made SmnMoore union leaders less accountable. A heated dis Ute has broken out over calls for immoral booL to be removed from schools. One Vote, Different Value 9 Ron Brunton Allan Pidgeon Most governments in Australia are elected by minorities, but the worst gerrymander is resewed for Aborigines. Letters from Wiam Wentworth and Peter Hunt. Paying for Protection 13 Editorial John Stone The new censorship. We should level the playing tield internally even if we can't level it internationally. Indicators Australia's tax on children. Should a Consumption Tax Replace Payroll Taxes?.-. .. 22 Debate: Should voting be voluntary? John Freebairn Examined closely, the apparent benefits dissolve. Moore Economics Des Moore Republican Mischief Why Australia "had to have" high interest rates. Bruce A. Knox Press Index Why change what works? The Coalition's consumption tax. Republicanism. Edward VIII's Downfall R.J. Stove Strange Times Is a bad king a good reason to Ken Baker abolish the monarchy? Property rights recede, prostitutes' rights expand. The Flag: symbol of our national identity 32 Defending Australia Santo Sanloro Ham., Gelher - The flag is for all Australians, regardless of origins. The nationalist revival. Youth Aftairs 56 The Dire Implications of Coronation Hill 34 ChhJames John R. Burton Hugh M. Morgan Rock music: is it decadent? Not only the economy, but also the nation will suffer. Dorm to Earth 61 National Disinterest 39 Ron Brunton Michael Lind Even environmentalists have The alternative to nationalism is tribalism. vested interests. Realism and Folly about the USSR 41 IPA News 63 Reagan was right after all. Two new collections propose new approaches to environmental manaeement. Listen to the Footsteps 46 Geoffrey Blainey Editor: Ken Baker ULS@ Bob CakYCllB Asociatcs. ROducUon A~ktBDI:Tnq Scto. Interstate migration will change the political and Mverthlng: Rod Trcma~nMedia (02)988 3339 or (02) 449 4437. economic shape of Australia. Prlntlng: Wilke Color. 37 RrmsRoad. Clayton. 3168. Publtshcd by the lnstitvtc of Pvbl~cAffairs Lld (Incorporated in thc Closing the Door on Immigration 50 ACn. ACN 008 627 n7. ISSN: 1030 4177 Robert Birrell Wolfgang Kasper Edllorlnl and PloducUon Omcc: 6th Flmr, 83 William Street, The recession has sharpened the debate about our Melbourne, MW. Phone (03) 614 2029; Pax (03) 629 4444 immigration level. Two experts put the case for and Unsolicited manvsrripts are wclmmcd. H-er, potential mn- tributora are advised to discvsspmposals foraniclcssvith the Editor. against a substantial cut. Vicm exprrsscd in the publications of the IPA arc those of the authors and do not ncccyariiy reflect thevieaa of the Institute. LETTERS Environmentalists Language letters, for example, "pitcher" for "pic- ture", "goverment" for "government", Dear Editor, Dear Editor, etc.) then we condone break-down of those limits or standards by which the Contrary to Nicholas Martin (Let- Professor Leonie Kramer's piece in language has been made more com- ters, Autumn 1991) I urge you to con- "Issues in Education" (Autumn 1991) municative, unambiguous, and clear in tinue to expose the sophistries of the on 'Language Rules' was a most wel- all its nuances of meaning; for where is environmentalists. They have more than come response to the benighted linguis- the line to be drawn? Without dis- sufficient opportunities to promote tic opinions of Stephen Knight. There is cipline, conditions are allowed to shift their cause, as almost all of the popular too much of his kind of assault on and blur into an unco-ordiiated mass of media, print and electronic, seem posi- literary and linguistic standards today. linguistic "do-it-yoursell" fabrications? tively to fawn on them. This is especially We have enough bad influence to com- The same applies to rules of composi- true of the ABC where the 'greenies' bat from the world of advertising and tion. Without paragraphs, written com- have had a dream run. They are rarely the verbal barbarism of cliche-ridden position is more difficult to read; required to justify their claims, but are journalism without the current crop of without sentence-forms it is much allowed free rein to spread fear and academic enemies of standards in ap- worse, declining into incoherence. This suspicion by making claims which are preciation and use of our mother is perfectly illustrated by examination of often hysterical, assumptions which are tongue. scripts written by foreigners to a lan- absurd, and accusations which are out- May 1 add to Professor Kramer's guage the elements of which they have rageous. words on the subject by drawing atten- not mastered. To mock at language Whereas Martin may be correct in tion to the fundamental reasons for rules, therefore, is to forget how lan- suggesting that "many of those espous- obeying language rules and the conse- guage becomes a reliable and sensitive ing the environmental cause are quences of neglecting them? Fist, it is vehicle of expression. None of this in honourable people with Australia's in- plain that all fields of human endeavour any way denies the various ways in terests at heart," he fails to note that developcriteria for their practice; limits which human expression of thoughts those who set the agenda exhibit a nar- and rules are only the necessary means and feelings may develop creatively. row fanaticism which will wreck the by which any art or science or craft can Finally, why are bad uses of English economy if allowed their way. That be itself, possess integrity, offer the op- so irritating to sensitive eyes and cars? moderate conservation makessense is a portunity for effective expression and To listen to a sincere, consistent and 'motherhood' attitude. Environmen- growth of the ripest humanity. Music, vivid speaker of English, whatever the talist leaders are taking advantage of for instance, requires certain intervals, degree of formal education or native this attitude to foist upon us extreme particular tempos, and consonant illiteracy, is pleasant enough. What is so and destructive policies which sensible groups of notes called chords. Car- unpleasant is the slipshod, trendy, lazy, people must soon begin to oppose pentry, whatever the difference in colourless speech which has so rapidly vigorously, or risk losing any semblance detailed styles of work, is carried on developed among bureaucrats, jour- of control over their future. within the limits of the shapes, strengths, nalists and politicians in recent years. People like Martin need to be type of timber, and such things as work- Half-instructed, or careless people with reminded that environmentalism as an ing with rather than against the grain. all the opportunities for better speech ideology is now the rallying point for all Land can be ploughed in certain ways, so often abuse the language bccause the disappointed radicals in the univer- and less fruitfully in others. they can't be bothered to go beyond the sities, the media and the bureaucracy Of course, some elements of all 'drills' they learnt in half-baked English for whom socialism is no longer even these change over time, but at any given classes where 'correctness' is not suffi- theoretically tenable. If environmen- point some 'rules', intrinsic to the pur- ciently accompanied by coherent prin- talism is to be prevented from doing to suit, are there to guide us, and to set the ciples or supported.. by habits of good- the 21st century what socialism did to limits without which bad work is done. reading. the ZOth, its true nature must be ex- There is simply no real freedom of ex- The effect of the bad pronuncia- posed. And if this involves also exposing pression or 'making' without such rules, tions, elementary faults of grammar and the corruption and hypocrisy ofsome of for the ignoring of the rules (except slurrineof-. ~hrases and words is like that its proponents, then perhaps their where these are imposed as a straitjack- of wrong notes in a piece of music. claims to "the moral highground might et rather than growing up organically also look a little shaky. with the art, or discipline or craft), Dr Peter Hunt means that the conditions for successful Winmalee, NSW. W1;am Wenhvorth work are broken down. Towamba, NSW. Thus, if we do not worry about pronouns being interchangeable They should be addwd to The Editor, ("he" for "him" or "them" for "they", IPA Review. 6th nmr. 83 William Street, Melbourne. MOO and normally kept to no or verbs not agreeing with their sub- more than MOwrds. jects, or non-pronunciation of some L 2 IPA Review, Vol. 44 No. 4.1991 The New Censorship tx years ago the Federal Govern- But the new morality, as with the Sment proposed a Bill of Rights for proposed restriction of political adver- Australia. Based on the International tising, has more than its fair share of Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, double standards and intolerance. Article 7 of the Australian Bill read: Thus, as Hugh Morgan indicates "Every person has the right to freedom in this IPA Review in relation to the of expression, including the freedom of Coronation Hill fiasco, while blas- the press and other media of com- phemy against the Christian and Jewish munication, and the freedom to seek, religions is now commonplace, to ques- receive and impart ideas or information tion the authenticity of Aboriginal of any kind in any form, without inter- mythology is to risk accusations of gross ference and regardless of frontiers." The insensitivity or racism.