Fischer decries KKK endorsement 
By CHRISTOPHER DORE and MICHAEL GORDON in London 

  June 21: Ku Klux Klan endorsement of Pauline Hanson was an "ugly
  development" in Australian politics but would expose the extent 
of her extremist support, Acting Prime Minister Tim Fischer said 
yesterday.

Mr Fischer warned that "Australia could do without Ku Klux Klan 
activities or endorsements" after a former leader of the American 
white supremacist group, David Duke, backed Ms Hanson, describing 
her as an "Australian patriot".

It came as John Howard declared he was happy to compare Australia's 
race credentials with any country in the world as he mounted a 
strong defence of his record on Aboriginal affairs and his response 
to Ms Hanson.

The Prime Minister used interviews on BBC television and radio to 
respond to criticisms highlighted in the British press since his 
arrival on Wednesday.

Mr Howard said Australia did not have a race problem "as such" 
and asserted that "on a scale of one to 10, extreme views in 
Australia are lower than they are in a lot of other countries". 

As well as backing Ms Hanson, Mr Duke also attacked Mr Howard for 
trying to destroy the nation's cultural and ethnic foundation, 
claiming in Melbourne's Herald Sun that the Prime Minister didn't 
care that "traditional Australians are a minority in their own 
country". 

A spokesman for Ms Hanson yesterday dismissed suggestions of a 
link with the American white supremacist group, saying ordinary 
Australians would realise the move was a "politically motivated 
attack with no substance or truth". 

Mr Howard this week likened the growing support for Ms Hanson and 
her One Nation party with the emergence across the world of extremist 
and racist groups such as Mr Duke's National Association for the 
Advancement of White People and France's far-right National Front 
led by Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Ms Hanson's spokesman said she had not even heard of Mr Duke until 
Mr Howard referred to him.

Mr Howard's comments just before leaving for London coincided with 
a verbal assault on Ms Hanson by Coalition backbenchers who claimed 
she was profiting from racist and bigoted views. 

But the Howard Government has repeatedly dismissed Opposition calls 
to marginalise Ms Hanson's support by directing preferences away 
from One Nation. Again this week, Mr Fischer refused to back the 
Labor plan to prevent her re-election.

The Prime Minister's parliamentary secretary Nick Minchin warned 
that it would be increasingly difficult for Ms Hanson to stop 
extremists from infiltrating her party.

"They are going to find it very difficult to prevent really quite 
extremist racist people moving in on that party and taking it over," 
Senator Minchin said.

"Everyone should be alarmed by this Mr Duke connecting himself 
with an Australian political party." 

But One Nation executive director David Ettridge rejected the 
Ku Klux Klan, saying Ms Hanson's opponents peddled the "malicious 
deliberate distortion seeking to damage her by this asserted 
association".

"There is no association of any kind," said Mr Ettridge. "The Ku 
Klux Klan is one of the most evil, wicked organisations on Earth." 

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said Mr Duke's endorsement of 
Ms Hanson was to be expected.