A new era dawns over Canberra with the instillation of a Gillard Labour Minority Government and many Australians are happy with the result. This unusual situation signals a victory for those who have been less than contented with the two party domination of our system. The only one's who seem to be distraught with it are the hard core Liberal / National Party coalition types, who are crying "we was robbed". You don't have to be an expert in kinesics to read the body language of the disgruntled and despite Tony Abbott's unconvincing promises of co-operation, one can be reasonably assured the 43.7% opposition will be doing everything in there power to destabilize the legitimate government (formed by the representatives of 56.3% of the population).
The problem here is a failure to recognise that the old paradigm was past it's used by date. We have been conditioned to assume the domination of one party over the rest is the best result and the logical conclusion of an election. But when that situation occurs 50%+ voters are represented by their MPs and 50%- voters have to eat worms for three years.
The new paradigm is an opportunity for all to be represented and if Tony (and the boy's and girls of the coalition) can rise above their desire to be an obstructionist force, then they are in no worse position than anybody else and can put forward their plans for going forward. They can set policy if their ideas are any good because the independents have made clear they will not support party politics on matters of policy. But some how or other I perceive their disenchantment is, they don't get to lord it over the defeated and Tony doesn't get to live in the lodge.
When Parliament resumes it will be an experiment in whether our politicians can rise above their petty individual beliefs on how Australia should be governed, prove themselves to be good people and join in the new paradigm of group co-operation to obtain the best results for the whole country. If they exhibit recalcitrant behaviour and sink to behaving like adolescent schoolies then we, the empowering public, should make it crystal clear they will not receive our endorsement on our next visit to the ballot box.
1 comment:
"one can be reasonably assured the 43.7% opposition will be doing everything in there power to destabilize the legitimate government"
You betcha and it has already started. Very disappointed in Malcolm that as leader he rarely offered alternative policies and seemed content to say Rudd was no good and he would do it better.
While tearing at Labor's financial credentials like rabid dogs, offering no real alternatives except 'we would have done it better and spent less"' they made a huge boo boo in costings themselves. But imagine the pressure on Tony to get power back before the Greens get to control the Senate in July! OMG, and the pressure on Fielding to thwart the ungodly!
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