Australia Throws Down The Gauntlet

Australian Treasurer and apparent heir to the Prime Minister position has thrown down the gauntlet against radical Islamists, saying that if Muslims don't want to fit into Australia, they are welcome to leave. Some excerpts:

[T]his is a country, which is founded on a democracy. According to our Constitution, we have a secular state. Our laws are made by the Australian Parliament. If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you.

[T]here are some clerics who have been quoted as saying they recognise two laws. They recognise Australian law and Sharia law. There's only one law in Australia, it's the Australian law. For those coming to Australia, I think we ought to be very clear about that. We expect them to recognise only one law and to observe it.

There's also a fair amount of pro-American rhetoric in the same interview:

I think there is a lot of anti-Americanism in Australia. It's not just in Australia. It there's anti-Americanism in Europe and other parts of the world and to some degree it may be less in Australia than in countries like France or in parts of the Arab world. But I don't believe we can be complacent about it. It is a real strand of public opinion and I think we ought to engage it and discuss it. The point I'm trying to make is we in Australia have no reason to be anti-American; that where American power has been exercised, such as in the World War II, it was exercised in the defence of Australia, not the attack of Australia. By and large, American power, which is exercised in defence of democracy and in individual liberty, is supportive of Australia in its interests and not a threat to it.

[T]he US is Australia's principal defence partner. When I say there is a danger of anti-Americanism in Australia amongst Australians, what I'm saying is, particularly amongst younger Australians, if they don't understand the events of 1942 when the US was the principal ally defending Australia and without which we wouldn't have been able to defend the islands to our near north, if they don't understand that, they may not understand what the importance of the American alliance is to the defence of Australia and our strategic interests.

I can't say loud enough how refreshing it is to hear all of these statements! Of course, you won't hear any of them in the MSM because they don't fit the hate-America template from which the MSM works.

Go Australia!

There's my two cents.

***UPDATE***
It was pointed out to me that this interview was done in 2005. So, while I may be behind the curve on this one (that was before I was really paying attention to politics), at least it's a position that Australia has held for quite some time. Still good news, even if it's old news! :) Thanks, Debbie!