I have always had a profound respect for Malcolm Turnbull. I have always assumed that it arose out of my passionate republicanism, and my gratitude for the enormous amount of time, money, and effort he poured into the cause. But today’s events, and the resignations of Tony Abbott, Nick Minchin, et. al. have forced me to reconsider just why Malcolm holds that special place in my heart and mind.
The results of my soul search were surprising.
Menzies cobbled together the Liberal Party of Australia in the aftermath of World War Two, consolidating a broad coalition of conservative political interests into a single entity. The legacy, as John Howard was so fond of reminding us, is a “broad church” of a political party that counts among its members Thatcher-idolising neocons at one end of its internal spectrum and refugee-embracing, tree-hugging, small-l liberals at the other.
I have always admired the latter group of Liberals: I even vote under the line on my Senate ballot in the vain hope that by placing Nick Minchin ahead of only Family First and One Nation, I can make my own contribution to the small-l liberalisation of the Libs. Turnbull is small-l: someone prepared to stand up for the environment, for gay rights, for an Australian republic.
And then tonight, listening to his inspiring, passionate defence of the need for an emissions trading scheme, it dawned on me. Turnbull is probably my ‘second preference’. Turnbull, certainly more than Kevin Rudd, represents where I lie on the political spectrum – at least when it comes to the issues about which I care.
I vote Green. Bob Brown is my hero. I hug trees. I do not see anything in my life or circumstances that is likely to alter that in the near future. But due to the injustices of the non-proportionally representative Australian lower house, I cannot send who I want to Canberra, so I am forced to choose a second favourite. In the elections in which I have participated so far, that’s always been Labor (even when I was a member of the ALP, I preferenced the Democrats first!) since, as a party, it is more closely aligned with my beliefs. But in a hypothetical electorate where the candidates were Brown, Rudd and Turnbull: Rudd would be #3.
Resurgent social conservatism is a major threat to the Australian polity. Catholics and Evangelical Christians in the Liberal Party are arguing against abortion again. Tony Abbott has suggested the reintroduction of fault-based divorce. In SA, Family First holds two seats in the Legislative Council, and they have used that platform to argue, among other things, that a homosexual partnership is akin to a man marrying his dog.
Breakaway from the Liberal Party, Malcolm. Set up the "middle" party the Democrats should have been: a socially liberal, otherwise conservative, political party. Fuck the “broad church” of the Liberal Party, because it has fucked you, deceived you, and betrayed you and will now betray your principles.
Wait. Perhaps I lied. There are circumstances under which I might alter my Green vote. Do what I’ve said and I’ll move to Wentworth to vote for you.
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I'm your first follower! Neat!
ReplyDeleteI agree about the threat of a conservitive resurgance. To put it not so eloquently, it scares the shit out of me. I do not want my daughter growing up in a society where people have less rights due to who they love, where a woman cannot choose what to do with her body and where relationships are governed by the state not those who are in them.
Although my knowledge of politics pales in comparison to yours my dear, even I can see that the ALP is only, to a great extent, the lesser of two evils; and that Rudd, whilst a veritable left wing hippy in comparison to Howard, is far from being a PM who represents my views and those of the people I know.
I don't know much about Mr Turnbull, but if your musings are correct then please (insert deity here) let him do as you suggest and break away from the libs and form a party I would be proud to vote for.
PS. Voting always makes me think of you :D
Voting always makes me think, 'crap, i didn't accidentally cross something out, miss a number or generally screw up the ballot on which i have carefully already numbered 162 candidates' ...
ReplyDeleteSecond thought is, naturally, of H. V. Evatt.
Third thought is of the 'crazy' wife, the suffrajet, in Mary Poppins.
Fourth thought is of you ;)
Of course, you always dominate my pre-preferencing thoughts :)
I'd vote for Turnbull, personally ... it's clearly a crappy situation - he's pumped millions in, he's attracted millions in support, he's given up millions to achieve his own goal of becoming PM. Burned unbelievably.
Sucks to be Turnbull (I think the parliamentarians would be too scared to vote Abbott out now - incidentally).
Sucks to be a swinging voter - cause chances are you believe in some women's rights, some minority's (i single women out as we are a majority with fuck all rights as distinct from an actual minority) rights and probably a little bit of actual justice ... and Abbott ain't buyin' what you're sellin' (well, opposite) - which is not to say Rudd is either *sad*.
I miss Kimbo.