Graham Ring continues his critique of Australian Politics, this time addressing the issue of leadership.
There is an old adage in politics that says we get the politicians we deserve. If this is so then we are a nation of lightweights. Australian politics has plummeted so deeply into the trough of blandness there appears to be no way out. Focus groups are consulted, polls are commissioned and politicians pontificate with pre-tested formulations designed to maximise wriggle room.
Prime Minister Turnbull is cowed by his party’s right-wing hardliners, unable to lay to rest the last vestiges of the Member for Warringah’s prime ministerial ambitions. Every so often Turnbull throws the switch to vaudeville in his unhappy attempts to placate this constituency. His recent parliamentary ‘demolition’ of Shorten as a hypocrite and rank opportunist cheered his nervous backbenchers for a minute or two. It also briefly brightened things for poor sods like me, who have the time and disposition to take a day-to-day interest in the B-grade theatre that is the Australian Parliament. But the rest of the country was busy taking their kids to soccer practice, tucking into Big Macs and watching reruns of Dating Naked. They didn’t even notice.
A symptom of Turnbull’s malaise is that he finds himself hopelessly wedged on the question of same sex marriage. This would be a popular reform and has Turnbull’s personal support. Bringing on a vote in parliament might just see Turnbull regain some initiative. The prevaricating PM needs to take on his recalcitrant right and establish some sort of legacy. To crash through or crash as E G Whitlam might have said. Politicians can only be wedged when they try to play both sides of the street. Were they to make a firm decision on an issue, and have the courage of their convictions by explaining and advocating for the position, there could be no wedge. This is a hallmark of leadership. And frankly, Turnbull hasn’t got much to beat.
Bill Shorten’s confected outrage at every turn is lame. His tedious trickery on the Fair Work Commission’s penalty rates decision is a case in point. Better that Shorten was six seats short of a majority than two. Then he might abandon the short-term skirmishing for serious policy development work, and prepare to make his case to the country two years hence. Before the Labor leadership position was filled, the party had a vote of its members to discover who they wanted as leader. “Give us Albo” they chanted, before reality set-in and the matter was decided by caucus members remembering which side their bread was buttered on, and whose support they needed to gain advancement. It’s notable that - bruised and battered as he is - a tottering Turnbull still enjoys significantly greater public support than the leader of the opposition. There is much work to be done.
Those who know about these things say that Australia’s taxation system is in a lot of trouble. The boffins say that changes need to be made as a matter of urgency if governments are to continue to raise the revenue needed to fund our health and education systems. The Henry Tax review was designed to undertake a ‘root and branch’ review of the taxation system and make recommendations to steer the ship of state into safer waters for the next twenty years of the voyage
This report – the product of a substantial investment of public funds - was handed to Prime Minister Rudd in 2008. Rudd promptly placed the report in a drawer where it has remained ever since, ignored by governments of both political persuasions, because implementation would have required skill and courage. Disaffection is the new black in politics across the world. Internationally it’s Trump and Brexit, locally it’s Hanson and Bernardi. There is much to be disaffected about.
Politicians no longer have the courage to deliver bad news when there is a vaguely viable option to do anything else. It is now unimaginable that a political leader might say that the country needs to have a mature debate about raising taxes or cutting services. Their opponent will start squawking about ‘’big new taxes’’, whereupon the issue will be consigned to the too-hard basket, even as the magnitude of the problem continues to escalate. Public consultation has its virtues, but ultimately decisions must be made and responsibility for these decisions accepted. That is leadership.
Should you, dear reader, ever have the doubtful privilege of taking part in a focus group or responding to a poll, you may wish to suggest that politicians place too much store in the opinions of people who take part in focus groups or respond to polls. That is not leadership.
Graham Ring is a Darwin based writer and journalist.
There is an old adage in politics that says we get the politicians we deserve. If this is so then we are a nation of lightweights. Australian politics has plummeted so deeply into the trough of blandness there appears to be no way out. Focus groups are consulted, polls are commissioned and politicians pontificate with pre-tested formulations designed to maximise wriggle room.
Prime Minister Turnbull is cowed by his party’s right-wing hardliners, unable to lay to rest the last vestiges of the Member for Warringah’s prime ministerial ambitions. Every so often Turnbull throws the switch to vaudeville in his unhappy attempts to placate this constituency. His recent parliamentary ‘demolition’ of Shorten as a hypocrite and rank opportunist cheered his nervous backbenchers for a minute or two. It also briefly brightened things for poor sods like me, who have the time and disposition to take a day-to-day interest in the B-grade theatre that is the Australian Parliament. But the rest of the country was busy taking their kids to soccer practice, tucking into Big Macs and watching reruns of Dating Naked. They didn’t even notice.
A symptom of Turnbull’s malaise is that he finds himself hopelessly wedged on the question of same sex marriage. This would be a popular reform and has Turnbull’s personal support. Bringing on a vote in parliament might just see Turnbull regain some initiative. The prevaricating PM needs to take on his recalcitrant right and establish some sort of legacy. To crash through or crash as E G Whitlam might have said. Politicians can only be wedged when they try to play both sides of the street. Were they to make a firm decision on an issue, and have the courage of their convictions by explaining and advocating for the position, there could be no wedge. This is a hallmark of leadership. And frankly, Turnbull hasn’t got much to beat.
Bill Shorten’s confected outrage at every turn is lame. His tedious trickery on the Fair Work Commission’s penalty rates decision is a case in point. Better that Shorten was six seats short of a majority than two. Then he might abandon the short-term skirmishing for serious policy development work, and prepare to make his case to the country two years hence. Before the Labor leadership position was filled, the party had a vote of its members to discover who they wanted as leader. “Give us Albo” they chanted, before reality set-in and the matter was decided by caucus members remembering which side their bread was buttered on, and whose support they needed to gain advancement. It’s notable that - bruised and battered as he is - a tottering Turnbull still enjoys significantly greater public support than the leader of the opposition. There is much work to be done.
Those who know about these things say that Australia’s taxation system is in a lot of trouble. The boffins say that changes need to be made as a matter of urgency if governments are to continue to raise the revenue needed to fund our health and education systems. The Henry Tax review was designed to undertake a ‘root and branch’ review of the taxation system and make recommendations to steer the ship of state into safer waters for the next twenty years of the voyage
This report – the product of a substantial investment of public funds - was handed to Prime Minister Rudd in 2008. Rudd promptly placed the report in a drawer where it has remained ever since, ignored by governments of both political persuasions, because implementation would have required skill and courage. Disaffection is the new black in politics across the world. Internationally it’s Trump and Brexit, locally it’s Hanson and Bernardi. There is much to be disaffected about.
Politicians no longer have the courage to deliver bad news when there is a vaguely viable option to do anything else. It is now unimaginable that a political leader might say that the country needs to have a mature debate about raising taxes or cutting services. Their opponent will start squawking about ‘’big new taxes’’, whereupon the issue will be consigned to the too-hard basket, even as the magnitude of the problem continues to escalate. Public consultation has its virtues, but ultimately decisions must be made and responsibility for these decisions accepted. That is leadership.
Should you, dear reader, ever have the doubtful privilege of taking part in a focus group or responding to a poll, you may wish to suggest that politicians place too much store in the opinions of people who take part in focus groups or respond to polls. That is not leadership.
Graham Ring is a Darwin based writer and journalist.
