2013, THE ELECTION YEAR

I have no idea what Nostradamus predicted for the forthcoming year, but there are two events that are of some considerable interest to me personally: the first is that I am now very likely to reach my allocated time on earth, i.e. three score and ten; the other is that sometime in or before November of this year, Julia Gillard will have to call an election. To me both these events are thought provoking.

During most of the exciting times of Hawk and Keating Governments I have been away from Australia. On my return to this country I encountered John Howard’s tenure: competent, purposeful, annoying at times, and rather boring. Rudd was not in long enough to leave a real impact before he got stabbed through the toga. Julia took over and I must say that neither the way she came to power nor the way she wielded it, is either impressive or laudable; the last three years has been a litany of broken promises and underperformance. Her cabinet is painfully insipid and lack lustre. And this is the opinion of someone who, I hesitate to admit it, has always, without fail, even when overseas, voted Labor, albeit, partly out of fear that my children would disown me if I voted otherwise. Well, the time has come to reconsider. Perhaps.

Certainly, the Liberals, under Tony Abbott’s leadership, hold no appeal. In the seminary he was trained to be a mender of souls. Now he has ambitions to cobble together a government.
He is a misogynist, a bumbler and a stumbler, and a political light weight, who has done a wishy-washy job as Leader of the Opposition and, I think, is likely to perform even worse as Prime Minister.

The Greens give me indigestion. They remind me of the Temperance League of old; holier than thou, high moral ground, full of clichés and moral platitudes. I rank them, God forgive me, below One Nation.  They benefited from the polarization of the voting public in the last elections; I suspect that this is not going to happen again. In any case, a party that accepted Lee Rhiannon, a failed communist and a racist, into its ranks, is unworthy of respect.

Finally there is the cross bench. And seldom has these benches been so well used, a phenomenon that must be a function of widespread discontent with the major political parties and disenchantment with the Greens. I suspect that their numbers will grow.  I also think that this is one section of the Parliament that is worthy of our attention.  And unlike the members of the major parties, they are COLOURFUL. Just look at Bob Katter, for example. Almost as entertaining as Paul Hogan!

Politically, this year promises to be interesting. Both leaders will be taking off their gloves and stealing themselves for a ten round bout, winner takes all; the loser banished to the “dust bin of history”.

Before signing off, I rather think that the following are likely to be the central issues facing the electorate:

·        Carbon tax

·        Boat People

·        Budget ( balancing thereof)

·        Economy

The last item on the above list is going to become of growing concerns to Australians. We have done well out of the mining boom. Australia has fuelled the economies of China, India, and Japan.  However, I fear that our well-being is much too dependent on the economies and the politics of the countries we supply. Moreover, we have assumed the traditional role reserved in the past for colonies:  i.e.   supplier of raw materials, without significant value adding.  

Not at all sure that I relish this role. Do you?