We’ve been watching the final series of The Crown this week.
Last night we watched two episodes.
The one where Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash in Paris, and the one leading up to her funeral.
It only struck me yesterday the irony of our timing.
Yesterday, was 28 years to the day I arrived in Australia as a permanent resident.
The week before I left, early on a Sunday morning, me and my now husband were heading off to do a carboot sale.
Getting rid of my last bits and pieces.
We turned on the radio, and realised something serious had happened, but it was a while before we realised it was Diana.
The week leading up to the funeral was a strange one.
The huge outpouring of grief.
A universal coming together of a nation.
Indeed, a world.
The following Saturday, September 6 – the day of the funeral – was also my leaving do.
It was a hard decision to go ahead with it.
But I really had no alternate date, I was leaving the next day.
As it turned out, after such an emotional day, many people said it was a relief to have something to lift the mood.
The next day I flew out for Australia, arriving on September 9, 1997.
28 years ago.
Watching The Crown’s dramatisation of this brought back a lot of memories.
But it also made me think.
How sad it often takes something this tragic to bring people together.
All colours and cultures – united.
Whereas at the moment we seem to be a very divided world.
In the UK St George’s flags are flying from lamp-posts and being daubed on zebra-crossings and roundabouts.
Despite claims of patriotism (and for some people I think it genuinely is) there’s an underlying tone of division.
We’ve seen it in Australia too.
The recent March for Australia proclaimed:
“This march is a stand for the people, culture, and nation that built Australia – and for our right to decide its future.”
Sounds good right?
But take a quick look at any of their official flyers and the message is very different.
MASS MIGRATION.
Wait. I thought this was for all Australians?
Now, please correct me if I’m wrong, but unless you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander – we are all migrants.
It clearly stated this on my original immigration paperwork…
But apparently, according to some marchers, 15,000 migrants are arriving every day (to clarify that’s 5,475,000 people a year).
Really?
A quick look at the offical immigration figures for the 2023-24 financial year immediately debunk this.
Migrant arrivals decreased 10% to 667,000 from 739,000 arrivals a year earlier.
Then when you take into account people also leaving Australia…
In the year ending 30 June 2024, overseas migration contributed a net gain of 446,000 people to Australia’s population. This was a decrease from the record 536,000 people the previous year.
Another claim from the march: 750,000 Indian people are arriving every year.
Whereas at 30 June 2024:
The four most common countries of birth made up over one third of Australians who were born overseas. They are England (964,000), India (916,000), China (700,000) and New Zealand (618,000).
Note that’s 916,000 people who are Indian born in the entire nation.
Not 750,000 arriving every year…
But (as journalists are often accused) don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story!
The whole migrant argument that they’re stealing our jobs is another furphy.
The Australian Industry Group says migrants make substantial contributions to the Australian labour market, driving economic growth, addressing skill shortages, and enhancing workforce diversity.
According to the Business Council of Australia, for every 1,000 migrants, there is a $124 million economic dividend each year to Australia. But migration delivers more than just economic benefits, it also enriches our diversity and helps us become a more outward looking nation.
It made me think how sad Diana would be to see this.
Her work to expose ‘wrongs’ and divisions were groundbreaking.
Stepping out onto an active minefield in Angola and sitting with a young amputee.
Along with her work with AIDS patients and homeless people.
Since Diana’s death there have been many tragic events.
But sadly many of them seem to divide us further.
Tomorrow is the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on New York.
While as a world in general we united against terrorism, it also resulted in racism against many innocent Muslim people.
We seem to have lost our basic ethics.
Of kindness and compassion.
Our empathy.
How about our humility and honesty?
Our sense of justice and ability to see through propaganda and lies?
We’ll probably never have another Diana.
But it shouldn’t be down to one person to bring us together.
In happiness, or grief.
We all have a role to play.
Rather than just believe what we’re told – do some fact checking.
Ask some questions.
Talk to people, lots of people, of different backgrounds and cultures.
We owe it to ourselves, and to each other, to be better informed.
To be mindful of the choices we make and the legacy we leave.
Diana didn’t make popular or easy choices.
Let’s not forget she dated a migrant surgeon and an Egyptian film producer!
But we still talk about her today.
Ann 🙏.