Howard misses out on ICC appointment

7 July, 2010

Howard misses the mark on ICC appointment 

July 2, 2010

Craig Cromelin, NSWALC Councillor for the Wiradjuri region, has issued a statement of "sincere and deep regret‟ at the news former Prime Minister John Howard was passed over by the International Cricket Council.

"I mean my statement of "sincere and deep regret‟ as deeply as John Howard meant his when he refused to apologise to members of our Stolen Generations," Cr Cromelin said.

"John Howard seems genuinely perplexed about why he was passed over for the job. I‟ve got a few suggestions for him.

"Number one: If racism was a sport, John Howard would be the captain/coach of the World All-Stars.

"Number two: He used fear and ignorance throughout his Prime Ministership to stay in power.

This is not a man we should be putting forward on the world sporting stage.

"The fact is, John Howard is reaping what he sows. He was caught by his past racism, and clean bowled by his enduring denial."

"Lest we forget it was John Howard who refused to apologise to members of the Stolen Generations. Having been kicked from office, he then refused to attend the parliamentary apology delivered by Kevin Rudd. Howard was the only living prime Minister not in attendance - what a sad legacy for a man time has passed by.

"And lest we forget that it was John Howard who launched the racist Northern Territory intervention, a policy which saw the government suspend the Racial Discrimination Act.

"Only three times in Australian history has the RDA been suspended and each time to the detriment of Aboriginal people. John Howard was Prime Minister on every single occasion.

"It was John Howard, of course, who used his high office to demonise some of the world‟s most disadvantaged people - asylum seekers. Many of those people harmed by Howard‟s dirty racism and wedge politics come from great cricketing nations like Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

"So I‟m not surprised that common sense - and common decency - prevailed and John Howard was overlooked by the ICC.

"What surprises me is that this small man was put forward as a legitimate candidate in the first place.

"Sport has enough trouble with racism without throwing Little Johnnie into the mix."

CONTACT CHRIS MUNRO AT NSWALC, 0438 760 242