Australian Election 2010: Moving Forward to the 1950's: Opinion Piece
July 27th 2010 03:34
Election Debate July 2010
On Sunday, July 25th 2010, the nation was faced its biggest problem so far this century. The Live Election debate or the series finale of Masterchef. Thankfully, the Election debate was moved an hour earlier so as not to interfere with the preferred viewing choice of a nation.
I found this to be quite telling of the general apathy the Australian public have to this particular election. For the Australian political landscape it's been quite a tumultuous time. 3 Opposition leaders in 3 years. 2 Prime Ministers in 3 years. Makes you wonder why we bothered voted in 2007 in the first place.
There's really not a lot that seperates those who would be the leader of Australia. It seems to me it's the same old thing, repackaged with a sparkly new bow, a nice new hair cute and possibly some cow poision on the forehead.
The sound bite of the Australian Labor Party at this election is Moving Forward, and boy, dont' they need to do that. After the knives came out and embedded themselves in the previous Prime Ministers back they really need to do whatever they can to distance themselves from their past actions. Not that the Opposition is any better. Since John Howard lost the last election, they've churned through 3 Leaders, leaving us with Tony Abbott as the alternative option to be our leader. I'm still hoping for a leadership spill there before August 21.
My one issue with this election is that none of the parties are really saying - or doing - anything fresh. The debate was yawn-worthy. I felt like I was hearing closing arguements in a court case from the PM - which makes sense seeing as she was a lawyer - and the hack-kneed "bogan/yokel" speak of the Opposition Leader left me cringing. I found myself wondering if he was auditioning to replace Ray Meagher as Alf on Home & Away. I kept waiting for him to say Stone the Crows, but he seemed content to show his connection to the Australian people by constantly saying "Fair Dinkum".
The debate skipped the most important of issues at this election, concentrating instead on running a scare mongering tatic of stopping the boat people, immigration - which really made me laugh, The PM is from Wales, and the Opposition Leader is from England - and tax increases. While these are important topics, I couldn't help but wonder why so much time was given to them and other things that are just as important such as: Indigenous rights, Hospitals, Environmental concerns, Internet Censorship, and Marriage equality were ignored.
Our PM - and out and proud atheist - has already dismissed Same Sex Marraige Equality, our Opposition Leader said on national television that gay people scare him. Both are committed to maintaining the status quo and ignoring the rights of the GLBT Community, to the same legislative protections granted under law to everyone else.
And just yesterday the Leader of the Labor Party in the Senate, Out & Proud Lesbian Penny Wong stated on a news broadcast that she is also supportive of her parties discriminatory policies on Equality. Now granted, the previous Prime Minister did ensure that under Social Security and Taxation GLBT couples are the same as defacto couples - nice money grab there really - but partial equality is not enough.
There appears to be a huge wave of public support of Senator Bob Brown and the Green Party. I can remember a few years ago when they were considered to be a bunch of Tree-Hugging Hippies, but that was when the Australian Public had the Democrats in the Senate, who were doing their bit - in the words of Party Founder Don Chipp - to "Keep the Bastards Honest". Since the Democrats no longer really exist - courtesy of a spectacular backflip on the implementation of the GST - there hasn't really been an independant political power in the Senate.
I really have minimal interest in this election, and I find that apathy to be quite prevelant. While Labor talk to us about Moving Forward, and the Opposition talk about bad spending habits, I feel like I've heard it all and seen it all before. Call me cynical if you like but I'm waiting for another "people overboard" scandal.
As long the country remains unbalanced where full equality is concerned the only thing you can take to the bank after this election is we're moving full steam ahead, right back to the 1950s.
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