Italo-Australians may have helped topple Silvio Berlusconi's government, Natasha Bita reports from Rome
April 15, 2006
CELEBRATING his election to the Italian Senate this week, Melbourne journalist Nino Randazzo fielded a phone call from party headquarters in Rome, worried whether he could be counted to support the centre-left Unione, the winner by a very small margin in a disputed tally.
"Can we count on you?" the Italian politician grilled him. "Are you sure you will remain faithful to your commitment to support the Unione?"
Randazzo was appalled. "I took it as an offence," he tells Inquirer. "I told him that Italians living overseas are a different breed from certain Italian politicians. There is not a chance in the world we overseas electors would cross the floor. We have given our word of honour."
