Michelle Lee

A Fair Go Michelle Lee

There is a critical intersection between political rhetoric, public policy, and nationalism. Using two case studies in Australian public policy - policies in the 1970s and 1980s that focused on post - war immigrants and the develop­ment of land rights policies for Indigenous Australians in the 1990s - this work explores how political Èlites strategically employed the language of "multiculturalism" and "reconciliation" in policy debates to sustain the power status quo. Of particular concern is how certain groups of people are defined in terms of an Anglo-Australian version of national identity, and how these policy areas are grounded in a contentious history of race politics. Through closer analysis of prime ministerial rhetoric and by examining the 'nested games' of rational political choices, this work analyses how and why political Èlites from both ends of the political spectrum in Australia used the same discourses to advance very different policy agendas during these time periods. This book will particularly interest those researching Indigenous and immigration issues in Australia, but is also applicable to wider-reaching studies on the subjects of nationalism, public policy, and political rhetoric.