Finding a fair go in corruption & confusion
This is not about just the present government today. It is about the various governments who have ruled Australia for the past quarter century. Contrary to popular perception, our politicians are a very sensible, helpful group of Aussies. That is, they are just as sensible and helpful as the people they represent. We voters elect people like ourselves to represent us.
We are not electing leaders but representatives. The brilliant radio and TV star Leonard Teale once said to me “Politicians are followers not leaders. Look at Pontius Pilate.” If they were not followers trying to do what the Australian people want, then we would be in something like an elected dictatorship. Some of them will become “Leaders” but leaders of a parliament elected to represent us the people of Australia. Right now many Australians are not getting a fair go as corruption and confusion reign supreme.
Bribed, bullied and threatened
The fault for this crisis lies not with the politicians or with the government. It lies with the Australian people. They elect politicians, mostly sight-unseen. Then they leave them to be lobbied, bribed, bullied and threatened by heavy handed vested interests. Those bullies want the benefit of our taxes and resources for their own self-enrichment.
Peter Principle applied in politics
Our parliaments have increased the size, concentration and diversity of our population way beyond their ability to govern it. The task is beyond them. The media makes it worse by criticising them every step of the way. The ministers have little if any expertise in their ministries. How could they? There are just so many experienced MPs and a host of ministries to be looked after. They become “bureaucrat bait” for the likes of “Yes Minister” Sir Humphrey.
As I write I have been hanging on the phone for 40 minutes waiting to speak to ASIC. Over the last month I would say we have spent 12 hours trying to change our email address with ASIC. To say that government productivity is pitiful would be an understatement. Its corporate regulation is much the same.
May feel in the same boat. They can’t get a fair go in even minor mattes because corruption rules in major matters and confusion permeates society.
MPs cannot please everyone
Immigrants have come to join us and brought their national, racial and religious prejudices with them, to add to our own. They may have very different priorities, cultural practices and prejudices from those of long-term Aussies. We saw some horrific bashing of gay Australians on TV that were thought to be carried out by immigrant families. Thar is certainly not giving people a fair go. Is it confusion or corruption that the offenders remain out of gaol as an example to other who beat and bash Aussies.
I have a book of Aesop’s Fables. If you do not have one, please look up online the fable of the man, his son and the donkey. From it you will understand, if you do not already know, that even for each one of us it is often impossible to please everyone at the same time on the same matter. It should not then, take us any time to understand that 226 Federal MPs are partly bound by the opinions of their party leaders, donors and professional lobbyists. More importantly perhaps, they cannot, at any one time on any one issue, please 28 million Australians, or even 17 million voters all at the one time. Most of those they will never meet or know. In truth our 28 million Aussies no longer have a common focus. There is now a multiplicity of choice even within every field.
To rate for a fair go, we voters need to stand up, flex our muscles, vote in MPs who will do what we want and replace them next time if they don’t. Rating them monthly on Voters Network helps
Need to refocus priorities
Why do you think tough ruthless business bosses force down their staff wages and force up the prices of their goods and services to customers ? Profit to pay them higher salaries and bonuses, of course. Why would they donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to politicians and political parties? Because they feel generous? Hardly! When they spend $100,000 they expect to gain at least $200,000, perhaps $1m. They donate to make a profit for themselves and it is a very sound investment. Only it damages democracy and turns it into a something else, where the people rate last.
The politicians and parliament govern for those who do the most for them and present their claims in the best and most appealing way. Most of us would probably act that way too.
Australian government works primarily for the few, to the detriment of the many. The many are still given a lot, just nothing like as much as is given to those who quietly control the government.
Who is to blame?
It is difficult to apportion blame, but if we want to fix our society, if it is at all fixable, we must know who has caused the problem and who can solve it.
Whilst many would blame the politicians, I would not. For 40 years I have run the Votergram service and have found the politicians to be generally speaking, superb, given the priorities I have mentioned above. Politicians have made incredible changes to help people who have used Votergrams. They have gained respite care and hospital operations for individuals. MPs have legislated the ban on smoking on commercial airlines, cut the road toll by 70%, both in response to Votergrams The government has even funded community pharmacies to the extent of about $50 billion after requests from individual pharmacists made by Votergram. Politicians have helped voters on all of those issues when asked by Votergram. Votergrams turn bad government into good government.
Truthfully the blame for bad government rests with us the voters of Australia. We have not understood our role in democracy. By failing to tell our representatives what we would like them to do, we leave them in a vacuum. Into that vacuum step the big political donors, the professional lobbyists and the political party bosses. They tell the politicians what to do. We miss out.
What is our role in democracy
Our primary role is to guide and direct the parliaments we have elected and pay. That is how we can ensure that all Australians get a fair go out of all the corruption and confusion. They will then have government do what we want. We have the authority to direct our parliaments, who in turn have the authority to direct the government bureaucracy and public service. Voters have no power over the bureaucracy or public service except through parliament.
We should accept that role in directing our representatives who we elect and pay. To do that we need to identify for them the problems we see and ask them to solve those problems. They mostly do, if we ask.
There is a danger for those who do care enough to help make life better for others. Often They can’t believe that some people do not care at all and many not enough to do anything. They think others are all like them, caring community members. That often stops them even trying to influence governments. They feel someone else will do that, but no-one else does. The general media-driven community feeling is that people can never get government doing what is needed, so they don’t try. That works for the media as it attracts readers and comments.
Don’t care
Unfortunately it is true that many, perhaps most, Australians do not care about problems affecting people other than themselves,. They don’t care enough to spend time, money and effort on solving problems for the whole community. Those who have made our Votergrams work for 4 decades have put in the hard yards. They spend considerable amounts of their own time money and effort in improving the lot of Aussies generally.
Do care
We ask you to please join us to make us more effective at getting what you want done. The wider the concept of a fair go is spread, the better Australia will be for everyone. Do what you can. Send your suggestions to parliament by Votergram. If you cannot afford to fund a Votergram yourself send your idea to team@votergrams.au .
Include a brief note explaining the problem and what you would like the parliament to do about it. We will do the necessary research and try to put together some strategic words. Those words might persuade the politicians to do what you want done.
Then we can confer with you to get the message correct. We will next ask around our membership to see who might like to chip in to help fund the submission. You may be able to chip in part of it. We will try to cover our costs of conveying the strategy to the decision-makers. Then we will send it to the parliament. Your goal will most likely be done within a reasonable time, if it is a reasonable idea.
If you can help by supporting other campaigns, please go to www.voters.au , click on the “Chip In” tab, enter your first and surname, scroll down to “Assign your contribution below” and use the drop down menu to choose the topic on which you would like to sponsor Votergrams. We will use your money to do that.
If you select “Votergrams” you will be able to pay for your own Votergram. Then email the wording, signed with your name, indicating the relevant parliament ( state/territory or federal) plus your postcode to team@votergrams.au .
Many thanks to all those who are already playing a major part in the government of Australia.
