Shorten calls Nazi comparison “stupid”
A union leader has told a rally in Melbourne that a proposed national building code’s rules were “likened to Nazi Germany”.
According to AAP Labor leader Bill shorten described the comparison as “stupid”
Labor leader Bill Shorten has described a union boss’s comparison of the new building industry rules to Nazi Germany as stupid.
AAP reports that the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union’s John Setka had said that “the proposed national building code was a ‘disgrace … likened to Nazi Germany”.
When called upon by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to disassociate himself from the remarks, Shorten said that he did not approve of it and called it “a stupid comment”
AAP reports that Shorten compared the remark with one made by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott calling a loss of jobs a holocaust. Abbot apologised for the comparison.
Dvir Abramovich
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chair of The Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) said: “Once again, we see the surfacing and the misguided deployment of Holocaust equations.
I have repeatedly spoken out against those who trivialise the Holocaust through the utilization of such loaded and inflammatory analogies that have no place in our civil discourse. No government policy should ever be equated with the Nazis or Hitler, and such grossly inappropriate references do an enormous disservice to history, and are deeply hurtful to the memory of the millions of Jews and non-Jews that were murdered, as well to Holocaust survivors and their families.
Additionally, such cheapening rhetoric devalues the courage and sacrifices made by veterans during WWII to defeat the Third Reich.
While John Setka has every right to disagree with and to criticise the government’s National Building Code, it is simply unacceptable to draw any links between Hitler’s evil deeds and the government’s legislative agenda.
Such thoughtless remarks poison what is a serious debate, and taint our national conversation. We call John Setka to apologise and say to all public figures and officials to stop invoking the Holocaust in an effort to score political points.”
Just drop ‘holocaust’Nazi’, and ‘antisemitic’ from general use. Require that people use clear descriptions and avoid emotionally loaded words.