Another term of current government Is not in anyone’s best interests

While the opposition leader may be no great statesman he does offer hope for a real alternative to what we’ve had in the past, writes Dr Neil Cranston

IT IS now some weeks into the federal election campaign and like so many before, the process is characterised by politicians making multiple promises, usually involving arguments of doubtful substance and accompanied by huge numbers of dollars to be spent.

Dirt files take on a particular significance, often without any defensible verification of the allegations being made.

According to some politicians, the world will end if we vote the “wrong way”.

Notably, the most vulnerable in our community seem rarely to make much headway following elections despite the plethora of politicians’ promises of some nirvana for all if they are elected.

Meanwhile the media seems to focus so much on the soon forgotten “gotcha” question usually of little significance for anyone except the “clever dick” who asked it. Perhaps this is not a surprising approach because politicians are expert at answering the questions they want asked, not those that may be of priority for voters. Important probing questions are sometimes asked by the better journalists, but they are rarely answered adequately. The demonstrable political behaviour is overwhelmingly one of deflection, deception and flakiness over substance.

Sadly, the whole performance simply puts the country on hold for several weeks while the argy bargy goes on.

Many voters have stopped listening to the rhetoric and have disengaged from the political process, a dangerous step for our democracy.

We know a couple of things about political behaviour, indeed human behaviour.

First, some will say and do almost anything and promise anything if it will provide a pathway to power. Secondly, past behaviour is about the best predictor of future behaviour we have. On this second point, to try to get above the “noise” of the election, we can examine the current prime minister and his government’s track record on a number of issues. Should they be re-elected we can surely expect more of the same.

History tells us that the current government: RESPONDED less than ideally to major national

challenges, such as bushfires, floods, pandemics – and we can expect more of these into the future;

TALKED about integrity in action but failed to operationalise it, indeed, did everything to avoid legislating for it;

HAPPILY wasted tax payers money on misguided defence spending such as with the submarine deals;

TALKED big on climate change (when pushed) but diverted and distracted from any real action, be it short or long term;

TALKED big on woman’s issues while covering up and defending abuse within its own ranks;

IGNORED potential security threats in our own backyard by reducing aid from our Pacific neighbours while failing to understand the imperative of managing the China threat;

EXPECTED everyone to look and be like them – those who don’t, such as transgender people, were marginalised;

IGNORED the disparity in schooling education across government and nongovernment schools and continued disproportionate large-scale funding to some already very wealthy institutions using tax payer money;

BLAMED everyone else for the poor state of Aboriginal health and social wellbeing;

BLAMED state governments for the state of our public hospitals; failed the age-care sector, particularly during the pandemic crisis;

ARGUED they were great economic managers while the cost of living and housing affordability skyrocketed.

Perhaps journalists should ask the Prime Minister Scott Morrison to state categorically how a new government under him will address all of these issues and assure us they will not be repeated.

No rhetoric, just a detailed set of strategies to ensure things will be different if they are re-elected. Even more worrying, the current government was led by a prime minister called a liar and a bully, not only by those from within his own party, but also, unprecedented in our history, by the leader of one of the great democracies of the world.

While the opposition leader Anthony Alabanese may be no great statesman, he does offer hope of a real alternative to what we have had in the past. Coupled with some strong independents to moderate behaviours, enhance accountabilities for decisions and ensure we don’t just hear the party political line all the time, it is possible the country does have the opportunity for a different future.

Another three years of what we have had is not in the best interests of anyone.