Exclusionary nationalism in ben Eltham’s the pacific solution

Abstract EN

Ben Eltham's The Pacific Solution (2013) critiques the Howard government's hard-line policy with Asylum seekers and its amendment of the migration act, known as “the Pacific Solution”, which eliminates offshore islands from Australia's migration zone to destabilise refugees' opportunities to find a home in Australia.

Moreover, Eltham's play deals with several issues such as racism, stereotyping of Muslims, nationalism and dysfunctional models of representing refugees in mainstream media.

This is depicted dramatically on stage through the reactions of three white Australian housemates to the arrival at their front door of an Iraqi refugee to apply for asylum.

The play portrays how those three Anglo-Australians, who are employed in the play to comment on three major Liberal politicians, align Australian nationalism with their strong nationalist sentiment.

Drawing on the Above, we read Eltham's play as critiquing their notion of Australian nationalism, which is inexorably intertwined with the process of othering, that perceive minority groups and the Opposition parties as posing threat to Australia and its people.