It is worth spending small money to get a fair go from government. There is no other way!
Good Government
Most of us pay taxes at the prescribed rate of tax while working. Some high earners spend more money on learning how to avoid tax. Other Aussies no longer work, earn, or pay taxes.
Many of us are unhappy at some ways government runs the country with our taxes. Those who suffer know many of the problems and their causes. We often know the solutions to those problems too. Yet we are not sure that we want to spend money on good government. Most of us value what we spend on our daily cuppa or fuel for the car. It is no fun spending it on building a better society.
We get what we pay for
Sadly, paying and speaking up is the only way we can help to build society. We Aussies live in a democracy. Democracy is defined as government of the people, BY the people, for the people. Obviously we 28 million cannot all hold a giant zoom or teams conference. We could not together thrash out what the government should do in every place on every issue. There are not big enough stadiums to hold us all. A physical meeting would be chaotic .
Australians don’t have experienced, but also selfish, rulers as in dictatorship or monarchy. We instead elect and pay one “representative” for every 120,000 or so of us. Voters send them to a conference called Parliament in Canberra. There they represent us in continuous discussions on what should be done by government. Majority opinion decides everything. That seems to be the fairest way of pleasing the greatest number of Aussies.
How could they know?
But how do the 150 people in “The House of Representatives” know what we want done? Most of us don’t tell them. They cannot automatically know what problems each of us faces, what causes those problems or what the best solutions are. A person may just need an urgent operation that the hospital says cannot be performed for 18 months because they are over-booked. Someone may need a hospital because there is not one for 200 kilometres from their home. Parents may need an assembly hall for their high school teenagers. They just may need a new school because the one they had last year burned down. A community may need more police or family services. Rural residents may need better road rail and air access to a beautiful inland city. Employees may need higher pay from a billionaire employer corporation.
A decision needs to be made in parliament to give us what is needed. For that, it is generally necessary for all MPs to at least know what we want and why. They will only know if we tell them. That way they will be aware of what we need. Then they can discuss it amongst themselves and get it done if it has merit. It is little use only telling our one Local MP what we want. As well as doing that, we need to tell all MPs so that when our local MP asks them to support it, they will.
Why is that necessary?
“Why is that necessary”, you may ask. It is necessary because parliament is like a tennis tournament but much more serious. It is a competition for raw POWER. Thousands of people constantly want thousands of things done all the time. Voters may be concerned about the same issues or different issues. There are constant mini-competitions. Quite a few would warrant the description “Grand Slam”. About half the MPs want to beat the other half. Both groups seek the power and spoils of being in government. The chances of one local MP winning them all over alone is small. If you have explained the facts to all MPs the majority are more likely to agree to it.
Democracy has rules too!
One of the basic rules of democracy is this:
“The silent majority, by it’s own choice, can never be heard.”
Read it again and absorb it. Our parliamentary representatives are not psychic. Nor do they believe everything the media says. Those who remain silent can never be heard!
Another two are:
“ Parliament is the only sector of government over which you have any power.”
Individual Australians have no power over the public service or bureaucracy that denies them what they want. AND
“The best way to influence government is to tell every MP what you want and ask them to get it done”. MPs do want to help you. They have enormous power to do so.
The Value of Votergrams
Votergrams put incredible power and influence into the hands of every Australian, rich or poor, young or old. The Votergram service was developed in Australia, by Australians for Australians. A young family was disillusioned by being lied to and cheated by a local council. The family devoted 8 years to developing a fool-proof way of influencing governments. They decided to concentrate on parliaments and forget local councils. In doing so they came up with Votergrams.
Votergrams cost coffee or fuel money, yet they allow individual Aussies to move metaphorical mountains. They cut the road toll, banned smoking on airlines, had chemists dispense generic medicines. Victims impact statements were introduced into courts. Individuals got hospital beds and operations, school air conditioning and halls.
It is worth spending small money to build a better country. That benefits you, your family or friends and other Aussies. The returns from investing in good government are far greater than in real estate or shares.
