It seems more provocative and likely to draw more comment in the current day, but when the Oils released this album it was fairly and squarely inspired by a country where Pauline Hanson was in the frame as 'a voice' for too many Australians, who felt under threat from immigrant culture and let's face it, faiths AND people 'taking their jobs,' their homes and whatever else they saw as laid at the feet of new Australian citizen's 'jumping some imaginary queue!' I won't have covered it all, because I can't begin to relate to her picture of our country! Especially not her fierce anger towards indigenous Australians and a determination not to accept 'the bleeding obvious,' stoking division. This said, the album has other inspirations, just sublime timing!
Moving away from this, the economics of immigration contradict the criticisms! When immigrant families can work, undertake education, buy food at supermarkets, cars, clothes etc They pay income tax, buy petrol and as an economic unit, create demand for goods and services, money for Government expenditure and help make the country live and work! VISA overstay far outweighs 'boats!'
The housing shortage is global, not just local, and it reflects supply side elements too! When conservative leaning politicians single out immigration levels as the problem, they invite focus on one aspect only! They risk inflaming social conflict and sadly, there's votes in it! Governments leaving social housing to Developers, cost of materials, lack of trades and urban sprawl are forgotten in the heat of the debate and while media eventually catch up, often the damage is done!
The album was released towards the end of 1998 - 2 years before the Sydney Olympics and just after Ms Hanson gained some notoriety as the proprietor of a fish n chip shop, with a platform to speak for ordinary Aussies, just like her... It's about more than what I've said, it's about a time in our history, sparked by some aspects and still including environmental concerns, whether we need to get off our couches, about urgency! I just love this album as a new sound from the Oils, linked to earlier material, different instrumentations and timeless themes!
