Haven't We Met Before?

Citizens and Legal Immigrants,

If you have been following developments in the noble art of politics (a passtime in Australia something akin to cage fighting) and you live in NSW you may have felt a slight twinge of deja-vu as you pondered the papers over your morning Weetbix. For the second time in a week a major political party facing electoral oblivion took the risky step of ditching a progressive yet flawed leader in favour of a risky conservative. Enough has been written about how this might affect elections in the next 2 years. But it occurs to me that for both the federal Liberals and the NSW ALP the election of new leaders may represent a conservative shift of the political spectrum.

Let me lay my own cards on the table. I believe that the language and policies of modern politics reflect an economic perspective on society with which I don't see as primary. Labels of 'right' and 'left' I find generally misleading as these have come to have economic and sociological implications that I believe need to be reexamined more broadly. As someone who takes a more communitarian view I find myself identifying more with the Democratic Labor Party side of the Labor split that occurred in the 1950s. The DLP's position was that while the rights of the working classes should be protected the way to do this was through supporting community interests rather those of trade unions. The DLP had a large role in Australian politics through to the 1970s and their demise left a void later filled by the Democrats, who were always a party of pragmatism than ideologies (something which ultimately led to their downfall). That said, it is good to see the DLP making a return in Victoria and we may see a return in the Federal Senate in the next decade if forces favour. In summary, I personally have no strong affinity for either the ALP or Liberals as I feel that their policies are derived from a faulty view of society and the role of government. That said, I do support our leaders and try to see the best side in all who step up to a difficult job.

So, what about the changes we have witnessed in the last week? What does this say about our nation and state? There is no denying that social changes have pushed these major parties to take unusual steps regarding their leadership. Despite almost a decade of War On Terror we are no closer to having real stability in our region, seen by ongoing political tensions and high numbers of refugees. Climate change has started to seriously impact our economy and industry is being pushed to change. Add to the fact that despite weathering a major economic crisis amazingly well Australians are nervous about what the next few years may bring. Have our political leaders read the entrails and determined that we need to put on the social brake? Have they perceived the Australian Public as scaredy cats so they brought in The Boxer and The Cheerleader to boost our egos? Is it a preemptive strike to prevent a threat of rising nationalism with burning crosses and pogroms and annexations?

On the other hand, they might all just be completely mad...