What a Fizzer
Well that was a fizzer.
Just like, back in the day, when we would pool our meagre pocket money to buy one of those big fire crackers that none of us could afford on our own, with a wick thicker than a shoe lace and packaging that promised … fireworks. We’d wait, impatiently, for it to be completely dark, and then hide behind some bush in the backyard, where we couldn’t be seen from the window in the kitchen … And then, fizz! Nothing! A few sparks, a bit of smoke, disbelief, and then sullen disappointment. Afterwards, we’d trudge back inside, cold, hungry, not even thinking about next time.
This election promised so much. Not just the excitement that comes with a change of government, but the possibility of another hung parliament, the election of a large number of independents, the destruction of the Nats, the Greens achieving their destiny - the remaking of the entire nation.
Instead, barely a spark, a fair bit of smoke, and back inside in time for dinner. By breakfast the next day there was that underlying feeling of embarrassment that we’d allowed ourselves to get excited, again: and a sense that, nothing had changed, more of the same.
Keating was fond of saying, “when you change the government you change the country”. I can see the truth in that when I consider the shifts that have occurred after each change of government.
What to make then of the recent election of Morrison? I hear people say, ‘it’s no big deal, only two seats changed, the Libs stayed in government.’
The most important point to understand from the election is that this is a new government, not a continuation of an existing one. The leadership has changed from an ineffective moderate in Turnbull, to a charismatic religious conservative in Morrison. Where Turnbull attempted to hold together the competing forces within the Libs & Nats, Morrison is the leader of one of those two groups, so policies will more closely reflect the interests of that group, instead of reflecting a negotiated compromise. Many moderates resigned from the party before the election: the balance has shifted.
What can we expect?
Increasing secrecy surrounding decisions and belligerent indignation when information shows fault with this government’s stance on an issue. Gone are the days of politicians travelling the country attempting to explain, some called it sell, their policies. When was the last time you saw a Minister truly grilled in an interview on a commercial network.
Don’t worry, journalists will be protected, but not their sources of information, rendering useless any protection of journalists.
There will be many apparent reforms, rather than any real structural changes to industries, leading to further declines in living standards.
Religion is a very public factor again in shaping our politics. Religion has always been a factor in shaping Australian society, from white settlement through to Federation, dividing society and at times splitting the political parties themselves, until gradually declining from the ‘70s. There is now no-one in parliament who will challenge Morrison inserting his religious perspective onto what should be considered secular issues.
As with many changes made by governments, the full effects of this government will not be felt for some time after the government has gone. An example forgotten by many is that the turbulence of restructuring during the Hawke years led to the sustained growth during the Howard years. So the consequences of this government’s assault on the cohesive elements of our society will linger for some time and be difficult to undo.
What has not been commented on directly, but struck me when I stood in the cramped little cardboard enclosure wrestling with the Senate paper, was how few parties there were on what might be called the Left of politics.
For the sake of this point, allow me to group Labor, Libs & Nats together in the middle of the political spectrum, then try to recall the many parties that were listed on the ballot paper, now simplistically place them on a spectrum either side of the group of major parties. Am I correct in saying that there would only be one or two of those parties on the Left, with the remainder placed to the Right?
This simple exercise provides a very telling comment on where Australian politics is at right now. Almost every alternative to the major parties sits on the Right. It was not always thus.
People who hoped for a Labour victory have been frustrated with the many people who seemingly voted against their own best interests. There may be some truth to the idea that people voted against their own best interest – but not where you think.
The targets of this frustration are the voters in outer suburban seats who swung towards the Libs, when financially they would be better off under Labor. But this ignores the multi-faceted dimensions of voting: if people are fearful and anxious, then voting for certainty – in the devil they know – is in fact voting for their best interests.
There was one group that voted against their best interests – the rich inner city dwellers – of Sydney & Melbourne, as evidenced by the swings towards Labor. The sentiment captured best in this letter to the SMH;
Inner city folks care about their Australians in the country, which is why they vote left to give them better healthcare, education, environment and new industries such as renewable energy generation projects to replace damaging ones such as coal mining. Really, inner city folk should be voting Liberal so we can protect our higher incomes, pay less tax and get more taxpayer subsidies for our inner-city private schools, but we don't because we care about our country and our fellow Australians.
The election results have suggested to some that we are a nation divided, but elections are always about choosing one side over another. Are we really more divided than in 1996, or in 1975, or during the Vietnam War demonstrations, or during the conscription protests? There is though, a sense that we have fractured: rather than being split into two or three groups, we are now splintering into many small tribes. This will need to be explored further at some point.
An election is, in a very roundabout way, a form of census, in that it provides a snapshot of who we are at a point in time, what we are thinking and what we care about.
We care about giving someone a fair go: just because the Prime Minister had been sacked by a previous Liberal government as the head of Tourism Australia is no reason he can’t run the country.
We care about the 4% of retirees who pay no tax on their share portfolios but receive tax refunds.
We don’t care about refugees fleeing tyranny, instead we’d prefer to give the opportunity of citizenship to millionaires from countries with dubious corporate governance standards.
We care deeply about our political institutions, so deeply, that we are unwilling to consider a minor change in the form of a congress for Aboriginal people to have input to impactful decisions as recommended by the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
We care about obedience, so much so that we accept the uniformed officers of the Home Affairs Department randomly interrogating people to see if they have overstayed their visas, unless they’re picking fruit without pay in atrocious conditions – then they can stay.
We’re international in our outlook, readily adopting the failed health care system of another country, USA, driven purely by an ideological opposition to our superior system, Medicare.
We don’t care about the gutting of CSIRO, the hollowing out of the NDIS, strong public broadcasters in the ABC & SBS, racially motivated attacks on minorities by Government MPs, the throttling of the NBN and the continued inequitable funding of education.
And we’re relaxed and comfortable with a government that was opposed to the Royal Commissions into banking and institutional sex abuse. What other abuses of power will go unchallenged by this government?
Australia has now had 18 years of conservative government in the last 23, although an argument can easily be mounted that the Labor years were also conservative.
Which brings me back to what I know about firecrackers: even the fizzers can blow your hand off, if you hang on for too long.
