Government News Index
Ruddock wins racial disharmony award
March 21 2002
Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock was the national figure who contributed most to racial disharmony in Australia over the past 12 months, a new disharmony watchdog has found.
The Committee to Recognise Disharmony today announced Mr Ruddock the inaugural winner of the Disharmony Award.
The award was made on Community Harmony Day in Australia which coincides with UN Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
"Philip Ruddock was unanimously selected ... due to his outstanding record over the past 12 months," Kevin Tory of Tranby Aboriginal College told reporters.
"Ironically, his ministerial responsibilities include promoting community harmony intended to reduce racial tension.
"I think he's done just the opposite."
The Committee to Recognise Disharmony is made up of community organisations committed to human rights in Australia.
Mr Ruddock beat a field of 10 contenders mainly from political and media fields. Three were shortlisted. On the list with Mr Ruddock were Prime Minister John Howard and newspaper columnist Piers Akerman.
Disharmony committee representative April Pham said today the new annual award had been handed out during a time when general ethical standards have been lowered in national politics.
The committee was not alleging deliberate wrongdoing by any individual by handing out the award, but was showing the public how harm had been done even if it was not intended, she said.
"In nominating people for the Disharmony Award we are saying that in our view, their actions have promoted or increased racial disharmony in Australia," she told reporters.
Mr Ruddock was chosen for his response to the Tampa crisis, the mandatory detention system for asylum seekers, and his role in the children overboard affair during the election campaign.
The Age