Winston Churchill once said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except all the others that have been tried”. I think Winston and I are on the same wavelength.
The more I think about it, the less I care about politics, mainly because of all the distractions, stunts, negativity and opportunism that gets in the way of how the system is supposed to work, preventing our elected representatives from effectively governing the country.
MPs trade their personal beliefs for the party line, governments are hesitant to green-light projects that will only show results past their term, and election promises are forgotten without consequence. In the political world, style trumps substance at every opportunity as candidates prioritise being seen participating in ironman events over providing meaningful political input. Then they get attacked for it, and the cycle starts again.
I could go on providing examples of why I believe that investing any time or effort into following or contributing to the process is a pointless exercise.
My increasing indifference regarding politics worries me. I’m talking about shrugging my shoulders at the governing of our country, the very fabric of our society. How can I not care? What class of gormless fool does that make me?
As I moped about my day, head lowered in the shame of political apathy, I noticed that I had trodden in dog poo, which was now stuck to the bottom of my shoe. It was at that moment that I was inspired to call on none other than our politicians themselves, and charge them with reigniting my passion for politics.
I proposed an epic challenge between classic media sparring partners, Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard. I would pose the same series of questions to each, with their answers having the potential to warm the tepid cockles of my political heart and re-engage me.
Both parties agreed to the terms. I would reproduce the questions and each of their unedited responses here on The Punch. I would then provide my take on which politician’s answers inspire the greatest faith in our political system.
More importantly, the readers of The Punch would be given the opportunity to evaluate the two sets of responses for themselves and through commenting on the article, pass their own judgements.
Below are the six questions and the responses of both Abbott and Gillard. My own take on their answers follows, but please, offer your own opinion on their performance by placing a comment.
1. What is the best thing and the worst thing about the current political system in Australia?
Julia
I like our system of compulsory voting because it means we as politicians have to be representative of all Australians – not just pockets of interest groups.
I also like the way the Senate is set up to be a constructive House of review. However, controlled as it is at the moment by the Coalition, it has become a house of obstruction and a vehicle for the Liberal Party’s policy of “just saying no” without offering any viable alternatives, at the expense of much needed reform.
Tony
The best thing about our political system is that it hasn’t impeded our being one of the best places in the world to live. The fact that we are not a banana republic and are unlikely ever to become one suggests that our system of government and those working in it have done something right. The worst thing about our political system is that it’s shunned by many people with a contribution to make because they don’t think they could bear the character assassination and invasions of privacy that seem to be part and parcel of political life.
2. What is your perspective on MP’s trade off between representing their genuine individual beliefs and ‘towing the party line’?
Julia
MPs’ individual perspectives are rightly thrashed out in caucus and in Cabinet. But you can’t just have meetings and discussions with no purpose – you need to come to some kind of an agreement and plan for the future of Australia. That’s why we present a united front.
Tony
I’ve never had a problem with ‘towing the line’ and ‘being myself’. Liberal MPs are permitted, if they feel strongly enough, respectfully to dissent from the ‘party line’. In my case, I think that I’ve always been able to say what I think is necessary without causing the party too much angst.
3. How important is honesty in politics, and how important do you think it should be?
Julia
I am serving as Deputy Prime Minister at the behest of the Australian people. If they can’t trust me to be honest, I don’t deserve to be here.
Tony
MPs shouldn’t tell lies. That said, they don’t have to spill their guts in response to questions that people have no right to ask.
4. How important are personality and image in politics, and how important do you think they should be?
Julia
Personality is inevitably important in decision making. You’ve got to be tough and decisive, but you’ve got to be willing to compromise too. Image is not something I think about – what I am concerned about is trying to do the best job I can as Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Social Inclusion.
Tony
Inevitably, personality and image matter in politics. It would be odd if voters didn’t warm to personality as well as to character. In the end, though, politicians are judged on their performance which is as it should be.
5. If your party is elected in 2010, will you keep the promises that you make in the election campaign and given the historically low rate of elected political parties keeping their election promises, why should I believe you?
Julia
Australians understandably felt cynical about the core and non-core promises of the Liberal Party. We have taken a different approach of always striving to deliver our promises and keep our word and I would back my record for keeping election promises over anyone in the Liberal Party any day.
Tony
It would certainly be my intention to keep promises. The best way to do so is to avoid making promises that are over-ambitious or impractical. Keeping promises sensible and achievable is most likely to engender confidence that they will be delivered.
6. Given the issues raised by the previous questions and all the other inefficiencies in the political system (tendency to govern only for benefits during terms, deal making between parties regarding legislation), why should I care?
Julia
I can understand that some people might be sceptical about some politicians’ motivations or be turned off by the adversarial nature of politics, but the question to me is do you want to be engaged in the big debates that will shape our future, or don’t you? Do you want to be engaged in a debate about our health and hospital system in the face of an ageing population, or don’t you? Do you want to be engaged in a debate about how to make a difference for the nation’s most disadvantaged kids and provide them with a world-class education, or don’t you? It’s that simple.
Tony
People should care about who is running the country because it does make a difference. As Paul Keating once said, when you change the government you change the country. People expecting that politicians will be perfect are bound to be disappointed. That doesn’t mean, though, that they should be indifferent to who is elected or equally scathing about everyone.
The Verdict
Could you give me a moment while I compose myself? I don’t know about you, but all this spin has made me dizzy.
For me, I’ll call it a tie. It’s more polite than saying both politicians lost. I certainly don’t feel inspired, in fact I feel that my apathy has been validated.
I’d like to offer a big “well done” to Julia for starting the challenge in spectacular politician style by only answering half of the first question. While she was happy to name compulsory voting as the best aspect of our political system (the fact that people like myself, who are more likely to turn up and draw a pair of boobies on the ballot sheet than vote sensibly, are forced to make the journey to the nearest polling booth to go through the motions is indeed cracking), she failed to name what she believes is the worst. I suppose having an eternal optimist in Canberra might have its benefits.
Regarding the “toeing the party line issue”, I think Julia’s response more honestly reflects the reality of the situation. I doubt that the freedom that Tony alleges Liberal MPs enjoy to defy their party would be unlimited if they want a future in the party, no matter how “respectfully” they go about it.
I find it ironic that Julia followed up “if they can’t trust me to be honest, I don’t deserve to be here”, with “image is not something I think about”. Come on Julia, you are a politician, image is important and if it wasn’t something you and your team prioritised, you wouldn’t be as successful as you are.
Kudos to Tony for quoting a Labor PM, which I thought was the cleverest move from either of the pair in answering these questions. While I’m complaining about inefficiencies created by the party system, Tony is positioning himself as being above it, by quoting Paul Keating.
I would have bought it if he quoted Rudd.
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