Abbotts Thus Far Annus Horribilis
Most Prime Ministers when they achieve Government with a sizable
majority set out to put in place policy initiatives that might define a
legacy they will be remembered for. John Howards GST, Paul Keating’s
Native Title and Bob Hawkes sweeping changes to our monetary system come
to mind. They all burnt up their political capital in the knowledge
that it doesn’t last for ever. They all focused on big things. Large
programmes that remain indelible in Australia’s historical political
discourse.
Tony Abbott on the other hand seems more intent on burning up his
political capital on issues of ideology. On his hatred of all things
associated with Labor. With him it’s personal. This can be seen in his
undoing of Labor polices regardless of merit or common good worthiness.
His politically based Royal Commissions that will trash long held
conventions for the sake of a personal vendetta. Commissions that may
well come back to bite him on the tail.
On top of that there is the deliberate attempt to downgrade Question
Time, inflict his own moral compass on the community and redefine free
speech in order to give greater licence to those with the power to
influence public opinion. All this in the absence of any serious
policies of his own. All we have is a Government of undoing, unable to
present a coherent narrative. One that seems immersed in some sort of
cultural battle that it must win before it can focus on real issues.
Things that might enhance our society.
For all its criticism, the Whitlam Government came to power
with a sense of direction, of purpose and for its short time in office
achieved some good reforms. Among them were.
• End conscription
• Withdraw troops from Vietnam
• Begin to work toward equal pay for women
• Establish a single department of Defence
• Grant independence to Papua New Guinea
• Abolish tertiary education fees
• Raise the age pension to 25 per cent of average male weekly earnings
• Establish Medibank
• Introduce no-fault divorce
• Pass a series of laws banning racial and sexual discrimination
• Extend maternity leave and benefits to single mothers
• Establish the Legal Aid Office
• Establish the National Film and Television School
• Launch construction of the National Gallery of Australia
• Reopen diplomatic ties with China
• Establish the Trades Practices Commission
• Establish the National Parks and Wildlife Service
• Establish the Law Reform Commission
• Establish the Australian Film Commission, the Australia Council and the Australian Heritage Commission
• Create Telecom and Australia Post from the Postmaster-Generals Department.
• Devise the Order of Australia to replace the British Honours system
• Abolish appeals to the Privy Council in the UK
• Change the national anthem to Advance Australia Fair
• Institute Aboriginal land rights
For its part the Abbott government’s plan appears to be to diminish
government’s role in society and replace it with free market business
principles based on a Thatcher/Reagan philosophy from a distant past.
They have decided that a war on ideology matters more.
The Most Biased Speaker Ever
Take for example this week’s move (the first since 1949) by Labor to
move a motion of no confidence in the speaker. Public opinion regarding
Question Time has always been one of derision. Without a care the
government has shown a complete disregard for the democratic process and
has sought to downgrade it even further. Bronwyn Bishop has been
universally condemned as the most biased speaker the Nation has ever
had.
‘’The Speaker of the Lower House of the Australian Parliament can only be described as a nasty bitch. Unnecessarily so.’’
John Lord
This week we had the ludicrous situation of a shadow minister being
thrown out of the house for saying Madam Speaker. The first since
federation.
Had she wanted, she could have, with her self-professed knowledge of the
standing orders become an acceptable speaker even a fine one. Instead
she has put party before independence and set out to crucify Labor at
every sitting. To the point of exasperation.
She acts like some sort of medieval evil schoolteacher intent on
provocation with intent to alienate rather than mediate. Constantly with
a look of contempt that would kill. Her manner of speaking is
disingenuous and full of nasty implication. She seems to have little
interest in adjudication wanting to be a player in the process. Any
speaker who attends her own parties Parliamentary meetings (or takes
part in) to listen to tactics cannot be unbiased and is unworthy of the
position.
The question this all raises of course is. What is the point of
Question Time? Ministers are now not even remotely required to answer
questions with any relevance. Labor would be better to just boycott
Question Time until they get some form of guarantee that some semblance
of the Westminster system would be adhered to. It surely cannot go on
this way for another two and a half years.
Anyway I will leave the last word to conservative commentator Peter Van Onselen.
‘’ Bronwyn Bishop has been a disgraceful Speaker, plain and simple. A shocking selection’’
Titles. On my Selection
Further the Prime Minister has sought to impose his own cultural
interpretation of Australian society with the reintroduction of titles.
Even though he ruled them out in December. The shock, ridicule and
disbelief has reverberated across the nation, even from perpetual
sycophantic anglophiles like John Howard who in effect Abbott has
demoted in title recognition. Social media was inundated with
self-titled Sir’s. I refrained because I am already a Lord.
The cringe from both sides of politics has simply reinforced the
belief that Abbott has a cultural and moral view of Australia that is
supported by few Australians regardless of the political divide. One
that we have long since moved on from. All he is doing is highlighting
the negative view people have of him.
On The Drum Friday night when the subject was raised all the panelists
started laughing such was their incredulity at Abbott’s stupidity. This
is reinforced by opinion polls that show him and his government to be
the least popular newly elected government in forty years. In fact it is
the only newly elected Government in forty years not to enjoy a
honeymoon period.
In announcing his new titles he further empathised his deep seated
Catholicism by using the term ‘’Grace Notes.’’ A term I recognised in
musical expression but deeper searching revealed the church connection.
He has now placed future recipients in an awkward position. If they
accept will they face public ridicule? My guess is that the individual
caliber of person he selects will speak volumes for his judgement. But
then this is a Prime Minister born in England and only taking out
citizenship at the age of 24 to ensure an Oxford education. Not only has
he downgraded Australia’s current tiles but his knights and Dames of
the future will be tarnished with the fact that is was Abbott that
selected them.
‘’The return of imperial honours defies the spirit of the nation we have become.’’
Michael Shmith
Free Speech
Then we were subjected to the idiotic ramblings of the blunt and
confronting Senator (John Howard is a lying Rodent) Brandis who
suggested that anyone was perfectly entitled to be a bigot if they
wanted to be and that outright free speech, as he proposed would give
them that right. The general response has been one of condemnation.
‘’Something drastically wrong with the moral compass of a nation when it legislates to make bigotry a right.’’
John Lord
I have written much on this subject with an open mind and
appreciation of both sides of the argument. I don’t propose to express
any more except to say that in all the discourse there is a point that
seems to be overlooked. It is this. Who are the proposed changes
supposed to benefit. Do I need more free speech than I already have? On
this blog I have repeatedly called the Prime Minister a pathetic liar.
And I think, with justification. I could probably say worse but I have
no desire to do so. Many writers on this blog express their views
aggressively but never overstep the line of decency like Andrew Bolt
does. If we did I doubt that any of us could stand up to the might of a
Murdoch for example.
So who would benefit from the proposed changes? Not the average
citizen or writers of my ilk. People with a voice who had a vested
interest in influencing the intellectual poor would. And those who are
like minded. All the conveyers of subtle hidden persuaders would. In
essence the likes of Murdoch and his hate press.
All of this preoccupation and philosophical hatred of the left is not
serving the country well. Abbott should stop and reflect on his culture
war. He is shooting bullets at those who don’t deserve it.
These are but a few examples of what the March in March rallies were about.
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