I guess a lot has happened since the Election, a new Government has been sworn in and has caused controversy since day one and yet at the same time I feel like nothing has been accomplished and that the Nation is just twiddling its thumbs until parliament resumes, at least that way we can see the mess the Electorate has imposed on us for the next three years start to take affect.
The right side of politics was so vocal over the Rudd Gillard Rudd reign that it seems to me, they have lost the need to say anything at all. Not that gloating is a good thing, but I feel like after a few days of celebrating everyone kind of got over it and are now at a loss at what to do. Oh yeah, apart from a few Coalition MPs needing to repay money for improper claiming of expenses. Conversely the left side of politics was so concerned at not looking outside their own walls at what the public were saying during their time in Government, that now they are in Opposition, they feel like they are ready to combat the issues that have plagued them for years. After the ALP Federal Electoral loss in 1996 to the infamous John Howard the ALP were in a state of denial and went through leaders like underwear before they put all their eggs into the basket of Mr Kevin Rudd. Rudd the Wonderful; Rudd the Fabulous and Rudd the Media Superstar! There was nothing he could not do, no section of the community that did not want to be his friend and humanized on Channel 7’s Sunrise with Joe Hockey. We know all this obviously, but at the end of his reign (the second time) it was probably his popularity that let him down. Currently I am looking at some of the Leadership data from the Australian Electoral Study from the 2010 election and the more data I look at, the more I can't wait for the next round of data to be released, so that I can see the impact of bringing back the Ruddinator. It may seem like a strange musing from me, all this talk about the last two Labor Prime Ministers but I feel like it is the place to begin our journey into a new era, the era of Abbott.
EVERYBODY has an opinion on Abbott, from the Die-hard Abbott supporters to the Abbott loathers, to those who love the Liberal Party if Abbott was not the leader, to those who just want anyone but Rudd-Gillard-Rudd in power. While I sit somewhere in the middle, and feel that Gillard was unfairly criticised, that Rudd had good intentions just sometimes misguided, I feel that no one can really have a fully informed opinion of someone until they have actually tried to do something. And no I am not talking about saying they will review the GST, or saying they will repeal the Carbon Price, I’m talking about actually doing something. Rudd’s biggest downfall was probably not sticking to the plan he set out during the last part of Opposition, he had great potential, and maybe if the Global Financial Crisis didn’t happen he could have achieved it, but in every great endeavour obstacles occur. To be successful, not only do you need to put every fibre of your being into achieving your goal, you also need outside help, something the ALP struggled with from 2009. The 2010 Federal Election was the turning point, it was the election that the ALP should not have won and pretty much secured their demise in 2013. Since the Coalitions loss at this election, Tony Abbott and his team have been trying their hardest to make everyday a living hell for the Government. People say the worst day in Government is better than the best day in Opposition, but I am sure there would have been some days Abbott was happy not to be a part of a party and more importantly a Government crumbling at every turn.
Since the election in September, there has been much criticism of Abbott at the lack of females in his Cabinet, his Fire fighting abilities, his so called ‘mandate’ to repeal the Carbon Price and the list goes on, but what is correct is his willingness to not give up. His female issues could have been the end for him as Prime Minister material, or the seemingly endless list of ‘dad gaffes’ he continued to make during the course of his Opposition Leadership but they weren’t. Regardless of his intense negativity towards all things ALP he was still able to put the putsch in motion to become the 28th Prime Minister of Australia. He didn’t use social media in the same way Rudd did in 2007 but it seems as though he is going to be just as successful were it counts – in Parliament – especially when the new Senate is sworn in half way through next year.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love politics and I think there is something magical and spectacular about voting and debating issues in a place where change can actually occur, but I do have a problem with hate and unjustified negativity. I am not naive enough to suggest that everyone must get along, and I recognise that our ‘National Leader’ as a friend of mine calls our Prime Minister was instrumental in fanning the political demise of our first Female Prime Minister, but those on the left (and right) who are using the bushfire to attack Tony Abbott should go to hell. In another life, in another world a picture of a man in a clean-ish SES uniform would not be given another thought, and perhaps our Leader should be in a office with department heads trying to organise logistical support for those who have and will lose everything in these fires but he is not. He obviously thinks this is his way of helping. Moreover to those who feel the need to yell and scream about this should be using their brain space to think of constructive ways to help those who need it most. I understand the need to debate Climate Change, but it is not the time to do so when people are losing their homes to savage bushfires. Climate Change is important but not this week, not when people are suffering.
Therefore I think people need to just chill out and dare I say it, give Tony Abbott the benefit of the doubt and wait until we see what he does in the coming months. I know that it is not a favoured opinion of the left, and the right are still celebrating their electoral win, but people, Whyalla did not fall in a hole when Carbon Pricing came into effect and I don’t think Australia will fall in a hole now that we have a Liberal Government.
