I’m having a crisis of faith.
Ok, ok, it’s not what you think. It’s to do with politics. As some of you may have gathered over the months, I’m a staunch Labor voter here in Australia. I always have voted Labor and would like to think I always would. BUT, it is quite likely that my vote will now be going to the Greens at this years Federal Election. There is no way that the Liberal/National Coalition will ever see a vote from me while ever they support big business over the people of this country. They have dragged us down from a nation of workers with respect, to a nation of workers that have had to grovel and beg for their rights. That may never change as governments are most often reluctant to undo changes made by previous governments. Yes, I know it has happened and has when Labor won government at the last election, but they only went so far and way too many workers have fallen by the wayside since. There are too many sweatshop type businesses operating in this country and far too many operating with illegal immigrants to save money. If they are unable to get the work done cheap enough here, many are now moving production offshore and still using sweatshop labour when selling here at top prices.
This need to pander to big business, together with the reluctance to stand up to the Christian Right is turning Australia into a Nanny State. Most religions are now only just businesses anyway, so there isn’t much difference between the two. Business gives them money to fund elections and the religious give them a big block of votes.
If we just look at the current situation, we have Labor wanting to put a larger tax onto mining companies, but hit us with an internet filter that is censorship at it’s worst. The Liberal/National Coalition would scrap the tax and let business be subsidised by the workers again, but say they would scrap the filter. Both are pandering to the Christians. Neither can be trusted not to change their minds once they win government though.
We are at a crossroads here in Australia where the Greens are now at a stage where they have enough power to force governments to deal with them on a day to day basis. Not only that, if things continue the way they are, we may end up with another Coalition that includes the Greens the way they have had to do in Tasmania this year. I do not think the Greens have the depth in their ranks to take government and do the job on their own even if they did win enough seats. They just don’t have that kind of experience. But as a power behind the power, they are uniquely qualified to steer this country in the right direction. A direction that will bring it back to the place it deserves. We have fought hard to keep this country ‘Australian’ and by that I mean the qualities that make it Australian, not the ‘white nationalist’ qualities some would prefer and not the ’51st State of the USA’ that others seem intent on accomplishing.
I say screw the business interests and screw the religious sycophants. Give the Greens the power to turn this country into a social and environmental success while the Labor Party look after the economic and international side of affairs. The rest they can haggle over.
The two major parties have shown they are only interested in staying in government and they don’t care what the people say. Neither of them really want to do anything in electorates that aren’t their own. Too many independents are only there to push their own shortsighted and narrow religious views. There are the exceptions, but not many. On their own they have limited power and when it is only their vote that can win the day, they have far too much power invested in that one person.
While a Labor/Greens Coalition may just end up like the Liberal/National Coalition, it won’t do it right away. That may just give us time to fix the problems and show them all that things can be done in a better manner. I say we give the Greens a go. It certainly can NOT be worse than what we have now.
Greybeard are discussing. 
Greybeard 20:42 on May 31, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
You had me going for a minute. I thought you were about to 'out' yourself as a new member of Senator Fielding's Hillbilly 'Family First' party!
DistroMan 10:47 on May 31, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The first time I smiled tonight was when I used the word 'sycophants'. Thanks for giving me my second.
nathanlee123 05:12 on June 1, 2010 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Well, the only trouble will be that (like in US politics) we'll be dividing votes that probably would have gone to Labor and letting the liberals get first past the post.
Tony Abbott is too fucking scary to contemplate: the man's not only a climate change denialist, he's a creationist, homophobe and let's not forget how he acted while in charge of health (abortion drugs needed his approval for some bizarre reason) and his stance on stem cell research was appallingly ignorant.
So I'd say that I agree with you that (like the last few elections) it's important to send a message, and I have voted in that fashion before (a labor/greens coalition might be interesting), but not so much that you let tony abbott end up in power (e.g. then we're doubly screwed: no talk of "postponing" climate action, just "it isn't our fault and mining rocks and saved us all from poverty!")
Anyhow, we've got preferential voting: use it people. Just be aware of another family first nutjob sneaking in via the quirks of it.