My end of year travels enabled me to take in some Christmas functions in Adelaide Melbourne Sydney and Brisbane. Inevitably, the conversations got to focus on the sad state of politics and a few facts became indelibly clear.
Malcolm Turnbull has reached rock bottom and few now listen to anything that he says. No matter whether people are left, right, centre or swingers, they are utterly unanimous in this view and highly unlikely ever to change their minds.
They are also unanimous on another matter. They do not want Bishop, Morrison or Shorten to replace him. They just want politicians to get lost.
In fact, they all see Christmas 2016 as the end of the line. It concludes a shocker of a year when the music stopped.
Needless to say, there are other issues that caused the music to fade away.
We have already gone down for the long count when Trump won the US Presidency. Brexit and the turmoil in Italy has contributed to our bewilderment, while the agony of the Royal Commission on Child Abuse gave us much discomfort and a huge sense of disgrace.
Added to this is the juvenile behaviour of the Australian Parliament whose elected members incredibly believe that we all lay awake at night worrying about the evils inherent in something called 18(c) as well as such momentous threats as backpackers and a few rotten trade union guys. They also believe that we will contemplate suicide if anyone should dare mention such an outrageous atrocity as emissions trading.
But, at the end of the day, we can have a quiet Scotch and contemplate how we get the band to start playing again. This is vital as the worst thing that can happen to anyone is for us to not play the music that is in our souls waiting to break out into the world.
In working out a plan to express our most beautiful music we must, unfortunately, take on board a few more traps that we will encounter in 2017 and which will cause our shock absorbers to crush tightly and make a few chords play out of tune.
There is a chance that Angela Merkel could lose in Germany even though she has no obvious successor. This will be a tragedy as she and Justin Trudeau of Canada are the only genuine leaders left in the entire world now that John Key has resigned as PM of New Zealand.
Marine le Pen could become President of France in April and carry out her promise to take her nation out of the European Community. That will shake it to core and the Netherlands could follow.
Barnett will lose in Western Australia, but the ALP will only be able to form a minority government that relies on the support of those whom we currently describe as minor parties.
The ALP & LNP will both be decimated in Queensland. Hanson and Katter will win a swathe of seats and the State will become ungovernable. It will not be a pretty sight.
Nevertheless, we must pick ourselves up and move on without relying on governments for anything unless we absolutely have to as they will inevitably stuff up even our finest dreams.
We can aggressively foster the rise of not-for-profit community institutions that will replace as many government departments as we can. In this way, we can ensure that bureaucracy is replaced with compassion and common sense.
Similar not for profit corporations can operate in commerce and industry, removing the greed, corruption and incompetence that currently reigns there and which pathetically requires constant tax cuts, incentives and handouts for them to survive. The not for profits can bring the same vigour and enthusiasm as our pioneers displayed when they ignored governments as they built Australia.
We must face the unpalatable fact that we have to pay more tax to get our debt and deficit into order and make funds available for the a vast program of infrastructure that has been neglected for decades. This will create jobs and make our industries competitive and it must include drought proofing the continent.
Collectively, and most importantly of all, we can work constantly to remove the scourge of inequality that degrades our nation. We can achieve this through our own efforts as caring people, thereby creating a society that gives everyone a fair go.
As Ben Chifley said, “We must walk towards the Light on the Hill.”
We will get there if we don’t have to carry political baggage, plus their hopeless ideology, on our backs. They have been drowning the music for far too long.
Happy New Year.
Yours at Large
Everald Compton
If you would like to buy my book, The Man on the Twenty Dollar Notes, please go to my website everaldcompton.com and click on the book title.
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Malcolm Turnbull is a disaster following a long line of disasterous p r ime ministers since the 1970s. Hehas got to go before he swamps us with Islamics but who is there to replace him. We needcour own Donald Trump! Maybe Cory Berardie or Pauline Hanson, or Malcolm Roberts but preferably someone with a track record.
I hope the New Year brings renewed hope to us all. Reliance on specific leaders is perhaps something we should avoid? Should we not instead be reliant on each other and our communities? Your comment that we should “Aggressively foster the rise of not for profit community institutions” prompted me to think. Is this not exactly what our Governments should be – institutions solely focused on providing care, compassion, support and encouragement to Australian communities and the individuals who are part of them? Naturally we would expect fairness, the rule of law and acknowledgement that although all men are equal before the law some have innate abilities which give them an advantage and therefore the capacity to do more for others.
Merry Xmas again Everald. Thanks for your insights and continuing leadership to maximise community cohesiveness and control. John
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Australian needs to have a Spartan Party, whose politicians are committed to undoing all the perks that politicians presently get, and just receive an income equivalent to the average wage plus legitimate expenses (not the type Bronwyn Bishop sought). They would live in Spartan conditions so they could lead by example (better to live in a tent on Parliament House lawns than in a second house in Canberra). They would live by a creed that the world works better by an excess of good will, where people are prepared to put in more than they take out, unlike today where people from CEOs to welfare cheats want to get paid more for doing less.
Australia missed an opportunity in not having you as PM Everald ! I was willing to give Turnball a fair go – I mean the man looks good, dignified and a great speech reader. However all I get from friends is ….he has done nothing. Australia headed for recession as we have lost too much manufacturing. I have heard that Hemp for food, clothing, paper is the next big thing. Agree we don’t want Shorten either. Some like Albo from Labour. Bolt suggested W.A’s Hastie. We do need to spend on infrastructure right now to get the country moving. VFTrain at least start Melbourne – Ballarat – Bendigo to start. Trains half made in Dandenong Vic. With the re-do of Darwin harbour for the millions of Chinese tourists the NT could have another 2 Kakadu Parks. Stop penalising Seniors. Happy Xmas to you and all your followers.
Dear Everald
Many thanks for all your thoughts and contributions over the year. I always read them with a lot of interest and of course see some high-level parallels with politics in Switzerland (where I am a liberal member of Parliament of the Canton of Zurich, the largest state within the Swiss Confederation). A pension bust is looming, a subsidy quagmire in agriculture and energy is preventing lower prices and more competition (which would boost the shift to renewables), health costs are exploding due to over-regulation, the state share in the economy and in relation to the job market is growing and growing. At least we can go voting on community, state and federal level every three months, which builds at least some discipline into our democratic system (or else we would do as worse as many European countries). In February, a vote on a large change of the tax regime for companies is at stake.
Wishing you all the best and much health for the time to come. Keep on thinking, writing and sharing.
Yours, Alex
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Happy Christmas Everald and here’s to a better and brighter new year when we hope and pray that we get politicians with enough backbone to make the courageous decisions that need to be made and that they follow through with implementing those decisions!
Anyway thanks again for all your efforts this past year – look forward to reading your thought provoking articles again next year
I think you might be surprised about the Queensland election. Time will tell.
Happy Christmas, and thanks for your support and help during the year.
Look forward to catching-up again next year.
Regards,
Graham
I think many politicians are waiting to see what comes from Tromp , uSA is such a potential force in world economy we cant ignore them and need to see how we can benefit from the new regime
Hi how right you are. Turnbull full of Sh……… as I have always said. Now to spend $50M on staffers and renovations is a complete third finger to the public. There is no question that he can’t survive next year so bring on the new breakaway party of Bernardo, Abbott, Cameron, Latham, Dean and many more. Thanks mate for all your work so far Brian
Sent from my iPhone Brian Peat 0424561895