After Sept 7, Will We Still Have The Government We Deserve?

“Toute nation a le gouvernement qu'elle mérite” ¹

The bulk of this post was written in late June, just after Rudd’s successful leadership challenge, but I didn’t get around to finishing it. Now the official date for ridding ourselves of this three ring circus has been set for Sep 7, perhaps it is time to contemplate Joseph De Maistre’s observation.

Is this really the government we deserve? Is it even a government at all?

With the second deposition of a prime minister in two terms, after a long period of calculated destabilisation in the run-up to a federal election, the ALP have been for months more interested in fighting amongst themselves than governing the country, or even fighting the opposition.

It is not that uncommon for an opposition to select a more electable leader prior to an election, often in the best interests of the party (and sometimes the nation). Bob Hawke deposed Bill Hayden prior to the 1983 federal election and beat Malcolm Fraser, becoming one of the better prime ministers Australia has had. Ironically, he introduced the economic liberalisation Fraser had promised, but was too gutless to deliver. Fraser had also knocked off Billy Snedden as Liberal leader eight months before the 1975 election.

But compare the transition of leadership from Hawke to Keating with this current fiasco. At least both Hawke and Keating had some personal gravitas and command of their party.

This is not a government which even wants to govern. Look at the host of senior ministers who are now retiring at this election. Add to that the independent MPs who kept this farce going: Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott, gutlessly slinking off without facing their constituents, knowing full well their majority conservative electorates will turf them out for supporting a minority ALP government. Their perfidy was such that they chose to hang on to their jobs, rather than have the integrity to do what their constituents wanted: join a no confidence motion to allow an early election.

In particular, Tony Windsor has supported this minority government out of spite: namely, his long running feud with the Nationals and primarily, Barnaby Joyce. He represents perhaps the MOST conservative electorate in the country, New England. In the 2010 federal election only 11.7% of its voters chose the ALP or Greens.

I find it difficult to understand how people cannot see through Kevin Rudd. He is such a slimy little weasel of a man (if he could be called a man at all). Half his policies are stolen from the Liberals, as they were in 2007. Everything he utters is overly rehearsed and delivered with that nauseating, self satisfied look on his face. He is the archetypal “executive manager”: all committees and Power Point presentations. But it’s all a smokescreen, as his overweening ego prevents him from genuinely listening to advice.

I’m not a particular fan of Abbott and the Coalition is looking a bit weak on talent, but consider the alternative: Rudd and a team of largely inexperienced nobodies. Julia Gillard, Simon Crean, Craig Emerson, Martin Ferguson, Greg Combet, Robert McLelland, Nicola Roxon, Steven Smith, Peter Garrett … all retiring.

Many people would be popping the champagne corks at some of these announcements, particularly the unctuously spineless Steven Smith and the well meaning, but utterly incompetent Peter Garrett. However, the retirees are the bulk of Labor’s experienced ministers. Who is left? The turncoat Bill Shorten? Penny Wong? Tanya Plibersek? Wayne Swan to return the favour and white ant Rudd before a challenge in 2015? God help us.

If you think the past 3 years have been a testament to poor government, to vote the remaining rump back in would be tantamount to criminality.

I’m disappointed that Greg Combet is leaving parliament. I don’t agree with many of his political positions, but he is a solid intellect, clear on policy and a competent minister. In my opinion, he is by far the most credible ALP leader. Yet he’s had enough as well. What does that tell you about the functionality of any prospective ALP government?

So, the choice on September 7 is a gutted, inexperienced ALP, led by a vengeful, egomaniacal balloon, or an opposition who are at least comparatively disciplined, but compared to the Howard government, are weak on economic policy.

If we really can’t get better quality than this in Australian politics, perhaps we really do deserve to have, effectively almost no government.

And whatever you do, don’t vote for the Greens, unless you think being preached to by moralising, university educated, middle class socialist hypocrites is actually a form of government.

¹ “Every nation has the government it deserves.” Joseph de Maistre in Lettres et Opuscules, writing in 1811 about Russia’s new constitutional laws.