Be careful who you choose

As the federal election approaches, it is worth considering the role of preferential voting in this electorate of Indi.

We have an Independent MP, Helen Haines. In this sense, Independent means simply not a member of a political party as such.

It certainly does not mean independent of assistance via party preferences or influences.

In Helen Haines’ case, those preferences have largely come from Labor and the Greens.

The Victorian Branch of the Australian Labor Party was attempting to promote independent candidates in the north-east more than 20 years ago.

I can vouch for this from personal experience. The current ALP candidate may well wish to win the seat, but the hard heads in the Labor hierarchy will know that is nigh-on impossible.

The best result for Labor is for the local Labor candidate to poll well on first preferences, but less well than Helen Haines.

By doing so, the Labor preferences shall flow to Haines and deliver her a victory.

In saying this, I am not endorsing a Coalition candidate instead.

It is high time we, as a nation, cleaned the Parliament in Canberra out, with maybe a few exceptions, and started again.

This shall be no simple task.

It shall mean looking to truly Independent or alternative party candidates.

We must be careful who we choose. Australian politics is built on false narratives, such as the Liberals and Labor being somehow different and, lately, that independents are always independent of the system and influences from which they sprang.

Haines’ policies are light green. No amount of orange signage shall change that.

Ultimately, it matters not of political left or right, or of green, red or blue, though.

In many ways that divide is artificially manufactured for purposes of control.

Divide and conquer is a most successful strategy. What really matters is right and wrong.

Much that is happening and shall soon happen is palpably and irreconcilably wrong.

Australia is sleep-walking into totalitarianism, in lockstep with much of the developed world. In that sense, Haines is completely out of her depth.

Maybe our best alternatives shall be, too, but at least they won't be part of the problem.