Time For Nationals To Be Independent

In my previous A Personal View I offered that with the election of more State and Federal Independents, the whole of Australian politics is transformed into transparent and accountable decision making and review by the whole of the parliament. 

 

I have received wide ranging feedback from this edition, and with the announcement that the new West Australian National MP, Tony Crook, seeing himself as sitting on the cross-benches of Federal Parliament with the Independents, highlights a path that if individual members of the National Party do not wish to travel then there is another that the Nationals should seriously consider. 

 

Today Tony Crook (Member for O'Connor) has met with his Party but refuses to meet as a coalition member in the joint party room.  This places him, as an Independent National, if there is such a term.  At first it may seem that he is a renegade amongst National Party members however perhaps he is the vanguard of change that the Nationals really should be considering to differentiate themselves from the Liberal party.  Perhaps the Nationals would be seen as 'Standing Up' to 'Move Australia Forward.'

 

It is my view that the National Party both nationally and in Queensland have continually sold themselves and their supporters short in their dogged attachment to the Liberals.  I would offer that the Nationals will gain a whole lot more respect, and votes, if they were true to themselves in supporting rural and regional Australians and offered themselves as the real 'Third Party', ahead of the Greens, in Australian politics.  This would mean approaching both major parties and demanding an official agreement to sign off on, such as the current Independents have done,  in return for the National Party support to form a Government.  It is not unknown in Australia for have a Labor/National Government. 

 

Imagine, if you will, the rewards for rural and regional Australia if the Nationals were to, THIS WEEK, seperate themselves from the coalition and their leader, Warren Truss, was to stand up and clearly articulate that they will support whichever major Party provides the best deal for rural and regional Australia.    Such an arrangement would certainly provide a spotlight on rural and regional areas to recieve our fair share of the resources currently being consumed by the major population areas.

 

No longer will the Nationals be the second cousin playing catch up and recieving a few of the 'bones of office' that the Liberals have left over for ministerial positions, they would be in a real position to demand, of both party's, what rural and regional Australia have been missing out on for so long, a fair share!  And all it costs the Nationals is the guts to gut the apron strings of the Liberals.

 

This is my personal view.

 

Mal

Independent's The Future - State Implications

Well the wash up of the Federal Election (Federal 2010) has certainly left some flotsam and jetsam laying around on the beach to be picked over by the electoral experts and pundits. Many will offer up their views into why, when and how the Australian community has gotten itself into a position of a 'hung parliament'.

Lets put the Senate aside in this discussion, for the Upper House is looking after itself very well thank you, by having a third party presence keeping the excesses of the executive Government at bay, something that in my view is much needed, irrespective of whom controls the lower house. With a number of independents and one Green Party member holding the balance of power in the lower house, we are seeing a scramble by the major parties to persuade, co joule, influence the independents into providing the necessary numbers for the major party to hold on to power. There will also no doubt be an environmental price to pay for the lone Green member support.

What a great position the Australian people have created in ensuring that the whole of Australian politics is transformed into transparent and accountable decision making and review by the whole of the parliament. There is no escaping that whomever the independents choose as the next governing body for Australia, the big winners are the Australian people. All members of Parliament will now have to start behaving like we except of them, like compassionate, caring professionals whom care about the Australian people ahead of their own power bases.

Though it is unusual for Australia (since 1940) to have 'hung parliaments' it is not so uncommon around the rest of the world, including New Zealand, U.K, Canada and many European countries including Germany and Sweden, two of the most successful countries in the European Union. It has just taken us a little longer to realise the value of multiple party, multi-representative Parliaments that have to negotiate and compromise on major issues that affect the country, or the State, as a whole.

However the result of the Federal 2010 and the rise of the independents and their ability to bring a great deal of focus onto the real issues of Australia and the process of an accountable Government has lessens for our own Queensland Parliament and the next elections.

It is my view that the Federal 2010 has given more to Queenslanders than an opportunity to vent their anger at the current Government, it has shown that to have a number of Independents in Queensland State Government will produce a more accountable, transparent and productive Government for all Queenslanders.

I urge Queenslanders to seriously consider the value of having an Independent representative for their area and call upon current elected representatives to also seriously consider moving away from their Party Machine to really re-present their electorate by becoming independents.

Federally Tony Windsor (ex National), Bob Katter (ex National), Rob Oakeshott (Ex National) have all proven that if they have the vision, the conviction and the will then real democracy can flourish. I urge other Queensland MP's to follow our own local Member, Rob Messenger, and to consider really re-presenting their electorate by becoming independent and achieving the balance of power in next Queensland Government, to ensure that rural and regional Queensland receives more than is currently siphoned into the South East Corner.

It is my view that if Queenslanders really do want to have a representative and accountable Government, then the lessons from Federal 2010 is clear. Independent candidates are the only real option to seriously consider. If enough Queenslander's can see the value of the lessons learnt from Federal 2010, then Queenslanders will receive a truly representative Government.

With Independents having the balance of power in Queensland, imagine the accountability, transparency and real review of decisions that will be made available.

(ie: Sell Off of the peoples Assets, Health Pay Fiascos, Dr. Death Tragedy, Traveston Dam Decision, Why more $ are going to Brisbane and not Regional and Rural Queensland).

This is my personal view.

Mal

Broadband Nationalised not Privatised

It is interesting how a chance meeting with someone from the other side of the world influences your thinking of a national policy debate in Australia.

 

A number of months ago my family and I were on a few days off and holidaying on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland enjoying catching up with friends and taking in the great tourism and natural attractions that this area has to offer.  During this time we happened to stop at a mountain lookout to take in the breathtaking views that it offered across the hinterland and Sunshine Coast.  As I parked the car and we began to ascend to the lookout a large gentleman in a loud Amerian accent yelled out in my direction, 'Blue Jackets'.  Looking bemused I played along and said, "Ahh yeah, I dont know their name!" Thinking he was offering his opinion of a local bird that he has discovered.  'No', he replied, "You, A Blue Jacket!" As he pointed to the Jersey I was wearing.  Looking bemused I tugged at the jersey  and queried if this is what he meant. 'Yes, Ohio Blue Jackets'.  I had finally found out that the Jersey I had recieved as a birthday gift from my brother-in-law was in fact an Ice Hockey Jersey from Ohio, USA, known as the 'Blue Jackets', a name left over from their Civil War.

 

After a number of photos of each other and a long discussion on the wonderful country that he and his wife had found Australia to be, I found that this gentleman was on Holiday from Ohio and was on his way to attending a Lions Club Conference in Sydney.  Upon us departing we exchanged names, addresses and I offered him my email address, however he stated that unfortunately that where he comes from in rual Ohio that he does not use the internet as it is too slow and unreliable and at times he cannot access it as it drops out for long periods at a time.  On querying him on this he stated that in the USA private company's run the phone and internet access and that in the area that he lives in, it is not profitable for the companies to offer them a full internet service.  He stated that he found it interesting that Australia was having a debate on investing in a nationalised National Broad Band network, that of a country the size of Australia that surely all we (Australia) had to do was to look at the debacle that is the USA internet access through private companies.  He praised the Australian Governement for taking the lead and ensuring through Nationalisation that all Australians have access to high speed broadband.

 

With Tony Abbott and the Coalition announcement today that they would scrap the National Broadband Network and hand it over to private enterprise to develop, I can see that my friend from Ohio offers a glimpse into the future for such a plan.  Privatisation of the Broadband will see only major centres recieve the high level service, regional centres a second rate service and rural areas the same of that is rural Ohio - where people, .."don't use the internet as it is too slow and unreliable and at times it will drop out for long periods at a time"

 

 

This is my personal view.

Mal

The Real Abbott - No doesn't mean No

So the real Tony Abbott has finally stood up.  He just couldn't contain himself when backed into a corner. 

 

The serpent spat his venom, not only at the person, Julia Gillard, but at all women.  The pub boxer, and misogynistic, stood proud and delivered the most sexist anti women statement that can be offered when trying to defend why he was not man enough to take on Julia Gillard in another debate.   

 

He knew what he was saying, you just have to look at the smirk on his face, making fun of a such a serious subject.   Both women, and real men, in Australia know what he really meant! 

 

Like a thug, Abbott made - FOUR TIMES -  fun of 'rape' when he said, "Are you suggesting to me that when it comes to Julia, no doesn't mean no?"

 

The 'No doesn't mean Yes, message has been trying to break into the mainstream Australian male culture for many years and in fact the challenge of changing this mainstream male culture was highlighted when a Judge in South Australia in a rape case, stated that ''..in some cases when a women says no its means yes!".

 

It is clear that Abbott  is finally showing he true misogynistic colours!

 

If this crack in his armour is any indication, then we need to be really wary of this snake charmers promises of 'parental leave'. 

 

Given his show of true colours it would not surprise me that come an election victory that Paid Parental Leave would all of sudden become, ' not viable due to what Labor left us' 

 

This is my personal view.

 

Mal

Regular Referendum At Elections

It is timely to again put out in the public arena an idea that may offer a solution to the community on reducing the amount of incessant claims and counter claims by all Political Parties come election time.  For months, sometime only weeks, before election time the people of Australia are bombarded with claims and counter claims by all Parties that if a certain Party or Person is elected, or re-elected that they will bring about significant social change (Emissions Trading Scheme) or in fact re-introduce it.  (ie: Workchoices).  The back and forth, argy bargy is incessant and often the real issue is lost in the Party Machine messages.  

There is a real, and simple, solution that will set the direction of our society in the direction that our society wishes it to move.

1. Set parliamentary terms to four years with elections on a specific date: eg: Victoria and NSW and Americas Congress and Senate.
2. At each election have a series of referenda questions of utmost National importance. eg:

            A: Do you want Australia to be a Republic?

            B: Do you want an Emissions Trading Scheme?

            C: Do you want stronger immigrations laws?

With the simple YES/NO questions will offer which ever side of politics the clear direction by the people to introduce relevant and effective policy and law to meet the will of the people.  Some American and European states have this system in place and have done so for generations.

This simple arrangement will of course meet our great Constitution where a majority of people in a majority of States must agree to have a referendum passed.

The arrangement also clears the decks, and unclutters the next election to make way for up to date current debate, as a 'decision has been made by the people'.

That's my Personal View and I look forward to your comments.

Mal