NOT TO PUT TOO FINER POINT ON IT, BUT THE UPCOMING ELECTION IS ABOUT A VOTE FOR SURVIVAL
TRUST, confidence, security, and hope are the cornerstones that bind a cohesive society. Destabilise any one of them and social cohesion begins to break down.
Never in my lifetime have I seen these four cornerstones under such shameful attack.
We have descended into a sewer of personality politics, spin, deflection, and deceit.
The upcoming election is, I consider, the most important in the history of our nation since World War II.
We are challenged by a tenuous geopolitical environment, economic realities, and an incremental slide towards socialism.
The “Woke” fraternity is a perfect example.
It fits well into the socialist frame with its slanted pursuit of equality. What next? Perhaps “Comrade” would suffice as it has no gender. And we are letting it happen.
Covid-19 has cost us $311bn over the past two years. This has been spent on social/job support and health.
Ask yourself, where would we be today without that investment? So why accuse the government of generating unprecedented debt?
The economic reality is that the debt must be repaid. To achieve that we will have to work smarter, invest in manufacturing and other avenues, and ensure we have the critical mass of essential goods and infrastructure to become as self-dependent as we can.
Manufacturing requires huge amounts of affordable and reliable energy that we will need from the get-go and for decades to come.
We must become competitive in an international market where the major manufacturing nations continue to build coal fired power stations. Here, big business decommissions ours early offering a wish and a prayer as they look at big profits in government subsidised renewables.
Where could those subsidies be better spent? Should we not focus on our economic recovery, security, and sovereignty?
How much will electricity cost us when we turn on the lights, cool, heat, cook, and charge our communication devices?
If ever we are to reach the decision on embracing nuclear power, I suggest we have already reached that nexus. Only decisive political courage will take us forward.
China has learned the value of a capitalist economy. Its form of communist government ensures continuity in policy and longterm planning. Consumerism is both our strength and weakness. While we exported jobs, technology and manufacturing for cheaper goods and profits, China’s power and influence multiplied exponentially as our demand grew and our selfdependency deteriorated.
China’s economic and expansionist aggression backed by considerable military investment in
manpower and new generation equipment poses a substantial threat to our way of life. Its newly formed links with Russia causes further concern.
The bulk of renewable energy comes from solar and wind. To address the reliability issue when the sun does not shine, or the wind does not blow, governments are looking towards batteries. The largest supplier of all the above is China.
As for other manufacturers, they would have to rely on importation of the rare earths that make up batteries and solar panels from China that also has the largest deposits of these raw materials.
Our rush to reduce greenhouse emissions to 26-28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 weakens our economy while increasing China’s.
Nuclear power plants which can be accessed through friendlier sources would create no such imbalance. As for the fuel in a nuclear power plant, we have it in abundance which assists in generating our selfdependency. We also have the most geologically stable continent on the planet to deal with nuclear waste.
Adam Bandt, leader of the Greens, has made his party’s position clear in his expectation to hold the balance of power. The Greens will hold us to ransom in their determination to accelerate the move to renewables. That position plays into the hands of the Chinese government’s ambitions and weakens us economically by diverting revenue from projects that encourage economic growth and security.
There are 1.2 million people of Chinese origin in Australia. They are your neighbours and friends. We have integrated many aspects of their culture into our own over almost 200 years. We are proudly a multicultural nation. This is not about them. This is not a race issue. They are Australians just like you. Nor is it about the people of China. This is about an issue with the Chinese government, the CCP pushing an aggressive and expansionist policy.
We all want peace, and security but both come at a cost. Peace is only as secure as our ability to defend it. And security can only be achieved in our will and determination to invest in it. Rushing into renewables without secure base power to drive our economy is not the answer.
Covid has taught us that we are not in this all together when self-serving politics raises its ugly head.
A holistic national plan was sabotaged by self-serving state interests. Facing the same on an international level brings with it a whole new environment.
Big business involved in energy and raw materials is also playing a role that is not in our long-term interests.
Our economy and subsequently our society is influenced by the affordability and reliability of energy. Whosoever controls it has the capability to influence and control us on many levels.
Who can we trust to lead us through what will be challenging times ahead? While we may know what some of those challenges will be, the overheated geopolitical climate will require response through strength of leadership, sound economic policy, flexibility, and confidence.
Before you vote in the upcoming election, think about the real issues our future government will face and how they will handle them.
Ignore the petty personality politics.
Your vote will affect not just you but all those you care for and rely on. Tomorrow is not just a week or year away, it must involve the next 20, 30 or 50 years if we are to address the way the CCP thinks and operates.
What we can learn from China is how to play the long game. Survival depends on it.
A HOLISTIC NATIONAL PLAN AROUND COVID WAS SABOTAGED BY SELF-SERVING STATE INTERESTS. FACING
THE SAME ON AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL BRINGS WITH IT A WHOLE NEW ENVIRONMENT.
BOB JANSSEN