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SYDNEY : An Australian hire firm which painted "Save a Whale--Harpoon a Jap" on the side of one its camping vans was accused by a senior politician Thursday of racism and risking a tourist backlash.
Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said she was concerned that Japanese tourists should feel welcome in the state.
Money brought in by Japanese visitors is an important part of Australia's tourism earnings, despite an ongoing dispute between the two countries over Japanese whaling in Antarctic waters.
The northern city of Cairns, where the van was spotted, is a popular destination for tourists visiting the Great Barrier Reef.
"I don't think there's any doubt that this slogan on a van in Cairns is racism, and racism has no place in Queensland," Bligh told reporters in the state capital Brisbane.
"I think it's important to reassure the people of Japan that Japanese tourists are welcomed with open arms here in Queensland, and no more warmly than they are in Cairns."
Wicked Campers, the firm which owns the van, specialises in provocative slogans. It has in the past been accused of sexism over other slogans and has been reported to Australia's Advertising Standards Bureau.
Bligh urged anyone offended by the latest slogan to complain.
"This latest slogan on the side of a Wicked van I think has really descended into bad taste and one that is damaging our reputation internationally," Bligh said.
"I would encourage anybody who sees these sorts of slogans to bring them to the attention of the relevant authorities, because I'm determined to stamp it out."
A company official contacted by AFP confirmed that the company had painted the slogan on one of its vans.
General manager Dave Kinkead said he believed the slogan had not been removed and the van was still available for hire in the Cairns area.
The firm had only received one complaint about the van, he said, adding that although its main clientele was European, it had Japanese clients as well.
"The reason the van is out there is to bring awareness to quite a contemporary issue, of harpooning of these beautiful animals," he said.
- AFP/os
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