Day 3
Debates about debates, parties criticising other parties for criticising them for being critical and advertising commenting on the other party’s advertising, all topped off with juvenile taunts demanding other parties produce policies on a specific issue on demand – if that’s the core aspects of the ‘vision’ we’re being offered by the major parties for the future, we may as well use Big Brother to select the prime Minister.
Then again, perhaps that’s just the parts of the campaign the mainstream media are focussing on. There’s certainly lots of candidates at local level from most parties getting around trying to put forward their policies and, just as importantly, listen to the community about what they think is important.
Yesterday I spoke at a forum on higher education at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba. There were about 80 people there, although it was in the refectory, so some of them were people who were mainly interested in eating their lunch. A good healthy dollop of political debate was no doubt a warmly received bonus for them. Notable also was who wasn’t there – no representative from the Liberal Party. The absence of a Liberal is a regular feature of the majority of election forums I’ve been to on many topics. I appreciate that a candidate can’t be everywhere at once, but it seems strange that a major party – the governing party even – can’t find a person to represent them at these things.
In the evening I spoke at a climate change forum at Cooper Plains in Brisbane – part of the marginal seat of Moreton. This was put on by the Orange Grove Sustainability Group – one of the growing number of local groups who are setting up to try to stimulate awareness and change regarding climate change at the local level.
(if you’re curious about the name, Orange Grove Rd is a main road running through the suburb, although I’m sure there used to be an orange grove around there once upon a time. There are still fruit and vege farms a couple of suburbs over at Runcorn and the aptly named Fruitgrove.)
Once again, there was no Liberal representative present – the third climate change forum I’ve been to where this has been the case, including one attended by over 400 people.
Apart from the non-issues I mentioned at the start of this post, there were also some announcements by the major parties on matters of substance. Labor showed it’s commitment to a real paradigm shift to help reduce greenhouse emissions by pledging billions of dollars to help put more cars on the roads in Brisbane, including half a billion towards yet another traffic generating tunnel. It was a key issue for Brisbane, so I put out a media release, which as far as I can tell sunk without trace.
The coverage over the tax policy was still continuing – although most of it still seemed to be about the politics surrounding the policy, rather than the substance of the policy itself – so I issued a reminder that the make up of the balance of power in the Senate could well be pivotal to how our income tax laws end up. Democrats Greens and Family First all have different records in this area (I don’t know what position Nick Xenophon or Pauline Hanson would take), which means quite different tax laws could result, depending on who ends up in balance of power.
Today, I’m making an announcement on Indigenous issues, participating in another higher education forum at University of Queensland and attending some Indigenous health awards.
12 Comments, Comment or Ping
Jason
On the Liberal Party – we’re finding it difficult over at youdecide2007 to get them to engage with our forum or talk to our citizen journalists (who are, after all, constituents. It’s making us wonder if the word has come down from on high that they aren’t to engage in public forums? That would be a shame for democracy in this country…
Oct 18th, 2007
Vicki Stocks
Speaking of media, did you catch the acknowledgement about the lack of media for the Democrats in the Victorian state election last year?
“during the Victorian election The Age made the Australian Democrats the focus of only five articles, “two of which dismissed the party as electorally dead”.
“(The Democrats) seemed to be regarded as (a) spent force from the early days of the campaign,” the report says.
“Undoubtedly, journalistic portrayals of the party in this light did nothing to prevent that prediction from being realised.”
Oct 18th, 2007
philip travers
The boring Lismore campus of the ABC had its expert also claim the Democrats are dead in the water.Maybe true, simply because, God, is a ABC theme park.Criticise the media in detail about detail too much and they are reminded that ,in fact, they, fly by the seat of their pants waiting for a computer story to be delivered.Denizen of the Internet Bartlett provokes our superiors Media Editors and lackeys in the problem of comparison with them selves,as rightful keepers,say, of a non royalty collected song.and the hours next guessed,some would spell the word guest.The art of sounding intelligent is improved by denying that one is learning more, how to sound detailed without really trying.Accept for typing speed, of course.Seems like the Democrats are suffering some of the problems that Arthur Janov of Primal Scream had, with the monstrous it, the cliche and the uninterested but appear interested , Australia version,how ru2day,or Morrisons I ll tell you what!Instant potato journalism forked out in great dollops competing with the doughboy in the hot water of the now.Win Andrew Win.Even if I am unforgivable for not voting.The Liberals have discovered mystery,and Labor well timed Honeymoon.Glow in the dark Andrew, for its time out for those who once thought being serious about voting, means more than not being fine scripted..besides there is always a Coca Cola advert in a big country like ours. I almost decided to stick to a porn site last night,after Howard ripped me off, and converted to GrowUP Labor, from another blog after I visited David Icke.com to find the Brit and American mess, one site, cosmic in some details suggests, the British Police are hiding facts on the number of kids disappearing,and our Pine Gap is a place where something is emanating brainwashing us all not to see an emerging reality.Any of % truth is alarming,and weird attacks on bodies of dead kids also.Been rumours I have heard occasionally same in Australia..see you in the mental clinic if such.Cya
Oct 18th, 2007
ken
Andrew – are you seriously expressing surprise that Liberals wouldn’t turn up to convemtions of fellow travellers who will never vote for them no matter what they say? or are you being delivebratly cheeky – one would hope cheekiness rather than befuddled naievety..
Oct 18th, 2007
Nahum Ayliffe
Well said Andrew,
So much media is just re packaged and sold as a fresh story. Politics is the game of trying to get your voice heard in a room full of voices, most of which are saying similar things.
I can back you up on the Liberal thing. I have debated a Liberal Candidate on two occasions, having been a candidate twice and attended my fair share of public forums.
It’s about controlling the medium. The Lib isn’t going to go to a venue where they are unlikely to get mass media attention, which is why I find Howard’s addiction to Youtube a bit confusing. Why post on Youtube if the target audience already hates you, by and large? Check out the forums on the Liberal videos to see just how little regard Youtubers have for the Prime Miniature.
Oct 18th, 2007
Derek
I agree with Jason’s findings. I asked for interviews with each of the candidates in my constituency and once again only the Liberals have not responded, despite repeated requests.
I imagine my application is sitting with all the others in a file at head office being quietly ignored until after 24 Nov.
Oct 18th, 2007
rossco
I have been to two recent forums in Stirling (WA), a marginal Lib seat, one on IR and the other organised by the Ethnic Communities Council. At both there were representatives of ALP, Greens and Democrats but no Libs. Further, at the Ethnic forum, the President of the Community Council detailed how Michael Keenan, the Lib member had abused him for putting out a flyer saying he would be attending. That has certainly lost him votes.
The Stirling Business Association organised a debate between Keenan and the ALP candidate, which Keenan did deign to attend. The fact that it cost $65 to $85 to attend would have kept the riff raff out.
Oct 18th, 2007
paul walter
Nahum’s comment was good.
On another topic, Andrew is thinking about clarifications as to Indigenous policy he could do worse than elaborate than what has just been going on up at Yuendumu.
Apparently a near riot after a bunch of pen-pushers bussed in told them all they’d be kicked off the dole and sent packing down to the Big Smoke to cop lots of racism from white employers and white fellow-citizens combined.
Oct 18th, 2007
philip travers
I hate to remind everyone, that, in the vast like workings of my brain, unable to be assisted by the Libs, all these shenanigans of the Libs towards Aboriginals is an attempt to over expose them leading to an election.The same thing may have occured in the nineteen sixties, but the watching and listening had the American news of race related riots. And whilst the BBC gets some just deserts, and a British Museum has decided there is no comfort in wearing dark sunglasses if the myopic amongst us cannot tell if your face is shaded or black,the hoary Geo. W. Bush family member, thats him…. is going to have a genuine Peace conference, with or without,like the Poms contributing to the starvation in Burma.So,if Howard just took time off to swear at the bloody poms and say his love affair with a well known racist family is over,one could think the Libs under Howard was unique and just requires the NT. population of ,not acceptable Watsons, to be patient with my fellow Whiteys. And I see Centrelink staff doing this to me,because all welfare subjects are first aboriginal tested to see if we speaketh the French.
Oct 18th, 2007
CORAL
I guess John Howard could not convince ANYONE to take the fall in his stead.
People must resist the urge to allow manipulation via promised tax cuts to influence their votes. A TAX INCREASE (or worse) may follow.
The same applies to the aboriginal issue – interested one day – big stick the next.
Oct 19th, 2007
Marilyn
They are not tax cuts, it was not a policy, it was a budget half year statement. Two different things and none of the brainless media mentioned it.
Considering income tax over the next 5 years will be almost $1.5 trillion it makes the $34 billion all look a bit silly doesn’t it?
And Howard called on the speaker of the house today in Bennelong because he was heckled. How bizarre is that or it is because he has never bothered to actually be a candidate in Bennelong but coasted on the laziness of the electorate by not letting him actually know that he is mad?
Oct 21st, 2007
CORAL
I think Howard is under a lot of stress. He even looks older. During The Great Debate, he looked on the verge of losing his temper several times.
The only politician I’ve seen on TV who seemed concerned about people on fixed incomes was the Green, Bob Brown.
He said he would give pensioners a $30 per week increase, but I wouldn’t vote for the Greens for all of the tea in China.
Most of the people I know say they’re going to vote Labor just to be sure of getting rid of John Howard, even if they’ve never voted Labor before.
Even those on high incomes don’t like Howard’s social policies – discriminatory attitudes relating to Child Support, Welfare to Work and Workchoices head the list.
I guess there must be some community spirit out there after all.
I think the Independents and smaller parties could get quite a few seats as well.
Oct 22nd, 2007