Witches Brew 3

Speaking for David Clarke's anti-BDS motion in the NSW Legislative Council on 15/9/11, Nationals MLC Melinda Pavey, displayed her supreme mastery of historical nuance by conflating 1930s Austria with 21st century Australia:

"Only about 3 weeks ago we discussed in this House a motion commemorating the passing of one of our finest Australian war heroes, Nancy Wake*. In Austria in the 1930s, Nancy Wake saw the most horrific things being committed against Jewish people while she was a European correspondent for the Hearst chain of newspapers, which turned her life around and encouraged her to stand up to fascism and to the Nazism [sic] rule of France. It is significant to note that an Australian led the charge and stood up to what was being perpetrated at that time. It is also unbelievable that that type of action is infiltrating our country in the twenty-first century."

Mel was the first in the 'debate' to give a wink and a nod to certain distinguished visitors lapping it all up in the visitors gallery:

"I acknowledge today the presence in the gallery of the Head of the Jewish Board of Deputies Yair Miller and Chief Executive Officer Vic Alhadeff." Which is most interesting, given that one of the later, Labor contributors to the debate kicked off his speech with: "Like my colleagues, I was not aware that this motion was to be debated today."

So let me get this right: Labor MLCs didn't know the debate was on, but the beaming gentlemen in the gallery did? How interesting.

Mel was followed by fellow National MLC Trevor Khan. Trev, who, as befits his name, was blessedly brief, whinged that BDS was nothing more than "having a protest for the sake of having a protest, or a gripe for the sake of having a gripe," and that it had Lee Rhiannon written all over it!

[*See my 15/8/11 post White Resistance/Brown Terrorism.]