Backward state
VICTORIA is the most socially progressive, accountable and civically responsible state in the country.
We have the capability to pay our car registrations in portions instead of one big lump sum, we have embraced multiculturalism, we have a balance of love for sports and the arts and culture, and an advanced understanding of the concept of dying and living with dignity.
In NSW … things are a little different.
Sydney is the home of the shock jocks and the Cronulla riots. Lock out laws and coward punches. For all the posturing and harbour-sidehubris Sydney is the most expensive city in the country. Traffic is appalling, they have no plan for the future development of structural public transport, power and water supplies, they get about 25 people and a dog to most NRL games and at the moment their biggest talking point is “abortion”.
It’s 2019 and NSW is marching to the beat of the iron drum of The Dark Ages. This is not progress, people. The NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian won an election recently, but you wouldn’t know that to look at the way the conservatives are rolling all over her leadership fresh air at the moment. The current “debate” in NSW about the opportunity for women to “choose” has been brought to the public domain thanks to a private member’s Bill in the NSW parliament, but this has been enough for former prime minister Tony Abbott and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce to take to the streets and join the protests in favour of prohibition of abortion in NSW.
Their willingness to participate in this state-based discussion is curious. They clearly see political mileage for themselves in this forum.
They’re not meeting in back rooms and discussing and negotiating, they are making speeches in public rallies. Getting on the mic and rousing opposition. The images of Abbott and Joyce on the soapbox are reminiscent of their “Ditch the Witch” campaign.
But this debate is a state issue. So what are two middleaged blokes doing up on the stump, lecturing the masses on the evils of women having the right to “choose”.
It’s a 1970s position and they are proposing 1970s style arguments. Tony Abbott showed all the empathy of a Catherine wheel when he announced that the Bill was “effectively infanticide on demand”. It’s an extraordinary statement made with little care and even less awareness.
We all remember that Tony used to be the leader of our nation.
Most former prime ministers make it a rule to avoid being drawn into state politics. They prefer to be seen as statesmen who can mix it with the international leaders. They prefer to be invited to afterdinner speeches on six-figure retainers.
But the onion-eater can’t seem to stop himself from being drawn to the flame of the abortion Bill.
Maybe it’s because he is a deeply committed Catholic. Trained in a seminary. A strong supporter of Cardinal Pell. Maybe this is why he feels he has to articulate his position on abortion.
It’s not formed through lived experience, but from divine teachings of those who say they know what Judgement Day will hold for all of us.
The good people go to heaven and the bad people go to live with the goats in hell.
It’s that simple inside Tony’s world. Speaking of goats. His accusations of evil were reinforced by his old pal, Barnaby Joyce (pictured below at a rally).
BJ levelled up on Sunrise on Monday morning when he publicly spread the lie that those who were marching in support of the Bill were chanting some rubbish about “put the foetus in the bin.”
Joyce was not at the rally where this line was (apparently) being chanted, but he felt informed enough to assure the viewing public that, in his view, this statement was “evil”.
His claim was not challenged by the Sunrise hosts but later in the day … it was reported that this chant was fake news.
The protesters were actually chanting “we will fight, we will win, put the bigots in the bin”. Joyce won’t apologise. The damage was done long ago. Already this year, Australia is burning. Rivers are running dry and water shortages are a reality in NSW.
Australia is facing the reality of the possibility of a new war in the Middle East but a private member’s Bill has captured the attention of these two old blokes from NSW. What legacy. What progress. Thank goodness we live in Victoria.