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by Ally Forward

20 Aug 05:30am

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Filed under: Education, Election 2010, Voting

25 comments

This year’s election campaign has cast a cloud of sadness and disillusionment over Australian politics and therefore Australian society. With the final countdown well and truly under way we are left hoping for the best in dire circumstances.

A lot of the events over the last few weeks have looked like crass politics, but why are we so surprised?

Has election time in Australia really always been this dismal? This election will be the first where I will be able to vote officially in Australia. I was in London for the 2007 election and voted at the Australian embassy.

As I lined up outside the embassy, with hundreds of other nationals I was buzzing with excitement. I had a strong sense that my vote was going to make a difference. The Howard years had brought a swag of regressive policies. It made you reluctant to admit you were Australian when abroad. “Kevin 07” brought a promise of a new Australia, a shift into the 21st century.

The Gillard coup was a shock, even with the initial surge of excitement and enthusiasm. Once the honeymoon period was over it was clear that we had inherited a tailored Gillard, with backward policies.

We lurched, in those first few Gillard weeks, into an election, and that’s really when the despair set in.

The lowest point came early in the campaign when Prime Minister Gillard made clear her stance on refugees. Gillard called for an ‘open debate’ on asylum seekers and signalled that she would continue off-shore processing. These comments were clearly a bare-faced attempt to win marginal seats by appealing to populism. Her “dog whistle” announcement condoned racism, fuelled xenophobia and used peoples’ lives for cheap political gain.

Socially progressive policies on education have been missing from both the Labor Party and the Coalition during this campaign. Last week Gillard announced a re-hash of the My School initiative with a ‘reward’ scheme for schools. She then announced an expansion the chaplaincy program in schools. Richard Teese, professor and director of the Centre for Post-Compulsory Education and Lifelong Learning at the University of Melbourne, argued in his article Public Education Being Neglected that ‘The big parties’ vision of public schooling as a broken sector is not worth voting for.’
And this is how we are left feeling about most of the policies being put forward in this campaign. There is little worth voting for.

Perhaps the only exception is the Greens. Their education policy calls for a reduction of government funding for private schools. This policy would see a fairer distribution of funds towards the public schools that really need it. However, the policy caused major division within the Greens themselves.

The Greens have been the only party actually offering policies. Many, like their climate change and refugee policies, are progressive and good – visionary, even. But it’s difficult not to feel some resentment toward them as a result of their blocking of the ETS in the Senate last year. It is certainly true that the policy put forward by Rudd was flawed – but it was something. Now we are left with no policy on climate change and the risk of an Abbott government.

We are privileged in Australia to be able to vote in a fair, safe democratic manner. But this doesn’t mean we should become complacent with the inadequacies of our major parties. Mark Latham’s ‘leave the ballot paper blank’ option should be roundly rejected by voters. They are the comments of a man who is so self obsessed that he, and the media company which employed him, should be condemned. But he has tapped into the despair that many are feeling on the eve of this election.

For many people, this election is not about voting a government in, but about keeping a potentially regressive government out.

An Abbott government will take Australia back far beyond those Howard years it seems we have all too quickly forgotten. Remember where you were when you lined up to cast your vote in 2007 - and what is was you were excited about.

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429Australia, you have nothing to fear but fear itself

390There's no one Thomson won't burn to save his skin

333Animal experiments won't cure me from cancer

313Thomson didn't answer the question everyone is asking

265Who murdered the Arts degree?

246A big day for Thomson, who thus far is guilty of nothing...

231South Australia. It's the middle bottom bit.

231Craig Thomson speaks. Meanwhile, in Australia...

25 comments

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- John A Neve says:
  
  07:11am | 20/08/10
  
  Contrary to belief our two party system does us no good. All it really does is divide the nation and polarise the electorate. The only candidates that get party selection are those that follow the party line, result no free thinkers, which in turn creates political stagnation.
  
  Until till we elect more independents or have a viable third party, Australia will just bob up and down like a cork. Direction will be wind driven, not planned out, result we’ll go nowhere fast.
  
  Reply
damian says:

08:14am | 20/08/10

Never have truer words been written. The demise of Senator Natasha Stott Despoja was a real blow. Now as you say, we’re destined to lurch from nothing to nothing, all the while slipping gradually back to the 1700s.
Gronk says:

08:33am | 20/08/10

Look on the bright side. If we had a Greens government, we’d be slipping back to 10,000 BC.
acotrel says:

08:51am | 20/08/10

There was a popular song in the 1950s titled ‘GOODNIGHT IRENE’. It’s a pretty apt theme song for this election!
Warren says:

11:22am | 20/08/10

PR seems like a better/fairer system but looking at the politics of Germany & Italy, it leaves a lot to be desired.
- Stewart Henstock says:
  
  08:08am | 20/08/10
  
  The only party traditionally worth voting for has been the Liberal Party.
  
  When you vote Labor you always get waste and mismanagement.
  The facts are there…just look what Labor has done to NSW and Qld.
  Just look at the waste,mismanagement and debt Gillards gov has racked up.
  Just look at how unstable the Federal Labor Party has been in the last 3 months.
  Who in there right mind would want to invest in this country with a Gov placing Super Profit Taxes on invested industries.
  
  Reply
Warren says:

11:23am | 20/08/10

And if you vote Liberal you get women & children locked up in detention camps for years.
Ian says:

12:08pm | 20/08/10

To Warren

it was a labor govt that started locking them up - it was Howard who stopped children from being locked up.
Then under labor we had children behind bars in Indonesia - so go figure
James1 says:

01:42pm | 20/08/10

To be fair, Stewart, the ALP saw us through World War Two, after Pig Iron Bob had sold iron to the Japanese, that they later shot back at us…

Also, the Fraser government is not exactly a paragon of virtue.
- Macca says:
  
  08:36am | 20/08/10
  
  So, the way I read this article was: 2007 was good because Kevin Rudd was cool, but now I am jaded because the party I supported turns out to be obsessed with power and will drop real reforms, adopting populist opposition politics once the election comes around, just to ensure re-election. As a result of my favourite player / politician losing the captaincy, I am not sure if I can barrack for my team anymore. However, they are my team and I would never consider voting for their main rivals because I am young and close-minded.
  
  @Ally Forward, may I suggest you send this article to Fairfax. After losing Annabel Crabb and Miranda Devine in the last few months they need a female Opinion writer with a pair. Plus they may be happy to accept your clear bias towards the Labor Party
  
  Reply
Adam Diver says:

08:45am | 20/08/10

Spot On. This may be dull but I would prefer to dull and capable candidates as oppossed to a used car salesman. That is exactly what happened in 07 when the election was exciting, full of vision, we had someone promising the world just unfortunately handicappped with no ability to implement these grand schemes.

Than to support the Greens for their major reform ideas, great to see you can fall for the same trick twice.
lili wilkinson says:

10:43am | 20/08/10

“your clear bias towards the Labor Party”... ?? Did you read the article? She says she VOTED for the Labor party in 2007 and has since become disillusioned with the total lack of visionary policy to come out of this election.

Also, this kind of article? It’s an opinion article. You’re allowed to have bias. That’s why it’s called an opinion. It may be difficult to recognise, as both major parties have steered clear from having any kind of firm opinions on anything this election.

But you keep going ahead being patronising towards the young. That’ll totally help. I bet you’re also one of those who declare all young people “politically apathetic”. I can’t imagine why they would be. Could it be because the only time young people have been mentioned in this entire election is when the Coalition announced $4.5 billion cuts to the education system, and a measly $10 per hour credit against HECS debts for students who have enough spare time to spend 200 hours volunteering? Which most students don’t, because Youth Allowance puts them well below the poverty line, and part time work is increasingly hard to find.

And you think it’s the young who are close-minded? Because they want something more visionary, more extraordinary, more inspiring, than the dry, bland nothing offered up by our two major parties, designed to appeal to everything that is average and creates no real benefits to anyone?

Maybe the young are naive for hoping that our governments can make our country (and the world) a better place, instead of just pandering to the lowest common denominator. I wish there were more people like Ally Forward, and less jaded cynics who are only interested in how the government are going to benefit their bank balance.
Barry says:

11:03am | 20/08/10

@ lil wilkinson The irony of your comment was that you insinuated that young people have a right to be politically apathetic, because the major parties haven’t promised any policies that would help their bank balance. You then went on to label Macca as cynical and jaded because he was concerned about his bank balance. Go figure . . . . The truth is that the majority of university students have loads of cash. As a uni student I can’t say I’ve ever seen anyone walking around in rags, but I can tell you I see the majority of univeristy students blowing their money on gratuitous amounts of alcohol most weekends. The call for higher amounts of Youth Allowance just show the selfishness of the young people of today. Their inability to budget and spend their money on things which are of actual importance is the real reason uni students struggle.
- Gavin Moodie says:
  
  09:18am | 20/08/10
  
  I disagree that the only socially progressive alternative is the Greens: the Socialist Alliance is standing for the Senate in all states except Tasmania.
  
  Reply
- sam says:
  
  09:40am | 20/08/10
  
  Well I’m voting for the Sex Party, they are the only party ready to admit they are a bunch of wankers. Tony and Julia should take note.
  
  Reply
A Bob says:

01:57pm | 20/08/10

I was going to vote for them, but when I asked for a demonstration of their policy positions they declined.
- BW says:
  
  11:00am | 20/08/10
  
  I remember where I was in 2007… not so much excited as concerned that regardless of my vote I wouldn’t be rewarded with three more years of the Howard government. Fingers crossed tomorrow renders the last three years nothing more than a statistical anomaly, and regular programming (read: competent government) can resume
  
  Reply
- Kathleen Maltzahn says:
  
  11:05am | 20/08/10
  
  Thanks for your article Ally. I think you reflect the views of a lot of people.
  
  I just wanted to comment on your statement that the ETS was at least something. I wish that that had been the case - the Greens would have supported the ETS if it had been better than nothing. (Illustrating this, the Greens in New Zealand previously backed an ETS that wasn’t ideal, but was better than nothing.) Unfortunately, the ETS that we ended up with here was in face worse than nothing. If you’re interested in the detail on this, have a look at http://greens.org.au/content/Greens- ETS-carbon-levy-info. In brief though, it wouldn’t have led to cuts here in Australia, and would have paid polluters to keep on polluting - the opposite effect ETSs are supposed to achieve.
  
  In terms of our education policy, I’m not sure we would be a political party if we didn’t have robust debates on our policies - it’s one of the great things about being in a party like the Greens, that is fuelled by passion for good ideas, not obsessed simply with spin and managing perception. What is important, I think, is not that we never disagree but that, firstly, people have their say in the debate, can be listened to and listen and secondly, that we come to the right policy outcome. I think we have with our education policy.
  
  Thank you though for your article. I think you are voicing what many people feel. Voting Greens is one way of rejecting the poor choices the big parties have on offer, and showing that voters respond to something better.
  
  Kathleen Maltzahn
  Greens candidate for the state seat of Richmond (in the Victorian state election on November 27)
  
  Reply
fish says:

04:51pm | 20/08/10

Hey Kathleen,

I think people will start to take the greens more seriously when they stop suckling at labors teat.
- Jen says:
  
  11:15am | 20/08/10
  
  I was also in London when I had a moment where I hung my head in shame at Australian politics, thank you Penny Wong. Unfortunately I have returned and, like Ms Forward, with no 2007-like song in my heart for tomorrow’s election.
  
  When did ‘tradition’ and ‘religion’ again become an excuse for bigotry? Are we returning to a time when we let fear dictate our legislation. Shall we give up on all equality, as it’s not particularly ‘traditional’ in our overwhelmingly white, male dominated society? I too have been desperately searching for a ray of light, and find instead racist dog whistles (although I think “dog whistle” may be overstating the subtlety of the message!), homophobic rhetoric and a disrespect particularly for minorities, the young (see above – a statement that I believe didn’t deserve the dignity of Ms Wilkinson’s reply!), and the Australian people in general.
  
  But Ms Forward is right, I may not have a song in my heart, but it beats the sense of impending doom that would creep over me if I ever see Tony Abbot with his firsts held high – ready to destroy the progress of the last three years – small though it may be!
  
  Reply
- AJ says:
  
  11:24am | 20/08/10
  
  Thanks goodness for the Australian Sex Party!
  
  Finally a real alternative to the near-identical Labor/Liberal/National parties.
  
  Reply
- Jolanda says:
  
  11:29am | 20/08/10
  
  In the Sydney Morning Herald it states
  
  ‘JULIA GILLARD has urged NSW voters to judge her by her record as a minister, not by the record of the state Labor government.
  With Labor fearing a wipeout in NSW marginal seats at tomorrow’s federal election, partly as a result of voter anger towards state Labor, Ms Gillard said the election was about ‘‘who is best to deal with national questions, particularly national economic questions’‘
  
  http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/closing-time-for-leaders-20100819-12s3t.html#poll
  
  This is a problem. My experiences with Labor are that they have set up the administrative process to just RESPOND by questions/allegations being sent to those about whom they relate, then, whatever tale that is presented is accepted without question or challenge as they believe that Government employees would never lie. This process has been designed so as to benefit and protect the Government, its servants or agents. It puts public servants above the law and denies the ordinary person procedural fairness and natural justice.
  
  Do we really just want somebody who can answer national questions, or do we need someone who can deal with the issues that the questions shed light on?
  
  Even if Julia Gillard did decide that things needed cleaning up and considered doing something about the process that protects public servants from having to answer and being made accountable, so as to identify issues and deal with them impartially and fairly. How long do you think she would last, she, like Rudd, would be history before you could say BOO and there is nothing that anybody could do about it as they are a Law onto themselves.
  
  Education – Keeping them Honest
  http://jolandachallita.typepad.com/
  
  Reply
- Emile O'Fenaghan says:
  
  02:08pm | 20/08/10
  
  We should abolish all parties and all politicians should be independents, and all votes made conscience votes, then put to referendum every 6 months any major changes. the referendums can be done online or by mail, no need for polling booths. We need direct democracy that allows the voter to bypass the vested interests and corporate advocates.
  
  Reply
- Gerard says:
  
  06:49pm | 20/08/10
  
  An Abbott government might “take Australia back far beyond those Howard years”, but don’t forget that a Gillard government will take us straight back to 1984 with its plans to dictate what we can and can’t read on the internet.
  
  Reply
- Nick says:
  
  02:52pm | 21/08/10
  
  “Mark Latham’s ‘leave the ballot paper blank’ option should be roundly rejected by voters. They are the comments of a man who is so self obsessed that he, and the media company which employed him, should be condemned.”
  
  Never a truer word spoken. Ch 9 has outdone all it’s peers by speed diving to the bottom of a deep murky pond. I hope they remain there.
  
  M Latham? I wish he was around near my favourite fish & chip shop the other day. They ran out of vinegar! Darn, I could have simply squeezed all I needed out of one of his breasts.
  
  Reply

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John A Neve says:

damian says:

Gronk says:

acotrel says:

Warren says:

Stewart Henstock says:

Warren says:

Ian says:

James1 says:

Macca says:

Adam Diver says:

lili wilkinson says:

Barry says:

Gavin Moodie says:

sam says:

A Bob says:

BW says:

Kathleen Maltzahn says:

fish says:

Jen says:

AJ says:

Jolanda says:

Emile O'Fenaghan says:

Gerard says:

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