Wednesday 8 September 2010

F.Y.I.

So we have a result of sorts.

A left of centre labor/Greens/Country Independent government that, as Bob Oakshot said, will be ‘ugly in its beauty’. If it works, it will usher in a new era of cooperation for the benefit of the country as a whole. So much reform was negotiated the mind boggles.

Bob Katter, member for mining and sunburn, had little choice but to go with the pro-mining, anti-climate-change-action parties of the right or employ full time security to augment his ‘five locks per door and a gun under every bed’. Miners are good with explosives!

Now we ‘Watch What Happens’. As the song says… “When someone.. Starts believin’ in you..”
In this unlikely coalition I wonder who will blink first! And will ‘Malcolm in the middle’ cross the floor?

I apologise to my friends who are separated from us by oceans. This is basically local politics but as in many political reforms, we in Oz can claim to have been first. So you might like to keep a watching brief and in the meantime, take a look at what your own Green parties are doing.
Pascal’s wager applies here too. Even if you doubt the science, it is more prudent to assume climate change is man-made and fix it than wait until it is too late to act. Major parties cannot take the electoral risk so we must get Greens in.

PS. Interesting firsts. Adam Brandt, first Green in lower house, Julia Gillard, first female PM, first Atheist PM, first unmarried PM. Times they are a-changin'!

10 comments:

  1. Time are a-changin' indeed! Well, I can't claim to be an expert on Australian current affairs, but from what I can gather - it looks as though a progressive coalition has been formed, one committed to change for the better. I'll be watching with keen interest.

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  2. An armed society is a polite society.

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  3. 'Julia, you set the standard for me ...' love you Jules

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  4. Isn't she also dead keen to severe ties Our Madge?
    Our papers are full of stories everyday about the when will our coalition fail - read quite a decent article about why they should be marvelling that it hasn't yet!

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  5. Stafford, did the Greens get ofered a ministry?
    When they do I'll know we have really become a pluralist democracy. The independents are showing a lot more integrity than either the libs or labor and they are the tail wagging the dog. The rural rump leading the bull by the nose and taking the horse to water and making it drink. Did I get my metaphors mixed there?
    Those two (and the greens in the senate)stand to achieve more reform than 10 years of mainstream leadership.

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  6. Well, this should be interesting. So far in our little state of Oregon the Democrats profess belief in sustainability, caring for the environment etc. BUT their behavior makes them lying hypocrites and so far the Green party has no viability here. Very very frustrating. It would be nice to see some decent reforms!

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  7. Little hat... You can lead a horse to drink but you can't make him water. OR, two in the hand is better than a bird in the bush. OR, Where there is a will there is a relative. OR, One door closes and another slams in your face, OR... Oh shut up!
    Seriously, how can the Greens run the agenda? All Abbott needs to do is side with Labor if minority demands become excessive or go back to the polls. I am hoping for less rhetoric and a bit of sensible debate where the opposition does address the issues instead of simply saying everyting the government proposes is crap! We'll see. :-)

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  8. Hi Stafford i just wanted to comment back in reference to your question at my blog....Helen should definitely wear red to the ball! :-)

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  9. Go Julia!
    Go The Greens!
    Don't give up folks cause it's *History in the Making*..
    Keep a place for * Kev*
    Watch this *Space*
    Just hope the * Itch * keeps gettin at poor silly old * BUDGIE*
    H'mm must go ' Feed Those Fleas Again '.....

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  10. I am relieved beyond belief. The Greens are going to save us from ourselves. Bob Brown is almost as cool to me as Batman. If he had a cape and a theme tune I might swoon!

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