Must not call Polynesians and Africans "spear-chuckers"

Polynesians are Pacific Islanders who look like large Japanese -- native Hawaiians, New Zealand Maoris, Tongans, Samoans etc. They did use spears until the missionaries got to them in the 19th century. In Australia, they are usually poor and ill-educated and often have lots of children. On average, they have a high rate of crime.

"A Lesbian Asian bus driver was fired by Brisbane City Council after she wrote a note referring to commuters as "spear chuckers with prams". But Lillian Tam - who said she has fought discrimination all her life - said the note was not meant to be malicious or racist, the Courier Mail reports. She claimed the phrase was used by bus drivers to describe the 110 bus route in Brisbane after a group of Sudanese, Tongan, Samoan and Caucasian passengers wearing face masks and carrying spears were picked up one day. Ms Tam said other routes were dubbed the Orient Express, the Bombay Express and the Granny Run.

The full bench of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission this week rejected Ms Tam's appeal against an earlier decision of Senior Deputy President Peter Richards, who found her dismissal was fair.

Ms Tam, 47, of Parkinson, had been a casual trainee bus driver at the Richlands Bus Depot for two and a half years, when she left the note requesting a particular bus for a friend and colleague at the refuelling station on April 6, 2007. It stated: "Could you please not give a 2506 merc (sic) tomorrow coz (sic) I'm taking over and I'm doing all the 110s - I do not want to pick up all those spear chuckers with prams!!!" The commission was told that if Ms Tam drove a high-floor bus, as she requested, many passengers would not get on because of the lack of space to manoeuvre their prams.

But the note was found by indigenous co-worker Katherine Jennings, who told the commission she felt angry, humiliated and frustrated by the "extremely derogatory" and "disrespectful" language. "It conveyed to me that dark-skinned people are primitive," Ms Jennings said"

Source

Rather surprising that a Lesbian was not privileged in what she could say. I guess homosexuality is not as holy in Australia as it is in the USA.