One Australia

Howard first flagged the concept of the One Australia policy on a trip to Perth in July 1988, having recently returned from a visit with Margaret Thatcher in Britain.

[1] During an interview on the John Laws radio program on 1 August 1988, Howard detailed the policy, expressing his preference to bias immigration towards skilled applicants rather than family reunion.

[5] Ian Sinclair, National Party leader in the Coalition, also supported the policy, saying: "What we are saying is that if there is any risk of an undue build-up of Asians as against others in the community, then you need to control it ...

[5] The Labor government sought to quickly exploit Howard's Asian remarks by introducing a parliamentary motion rejecting the use of race to select immigrants.

[7][8][9] In an unusual show of dissent, three Liberal MPs—Ian Macphee, Steele Hall and Philip Ruddock—defied their leader by crossing the floor and voting with the Labor government.

[11] Criticising his own party's policy, Steele Hall said in a speech to Parliament: The question has quickly descended from a discussion about the future migrant intake to one about the level of internal racial tolerance.