I did my civic duty a couple of hours ago and voted in the Australian federal election. I've voted for a change of government, though without much hope that there will be enormous change to the country even if (as predicted) this happens.
Actually, some continuity will not be bad, if we get an ALP government led by Kevin Rudd. The Hawke and Keating ALP governments of the 1980s and early 90s were noted for sound economic management and fiscal reforms, despite the debacle associated with an economic recession at the beginning of the 1990s. I'm hoping that we will see more years of solid management, if Labor is successful; I'm pragmatic and centrist when it comes to economics, and I hope and trust that Rudd's Cabinet team will turn out to be more in the mould of Bob Hawke's than Gough Whitlam's.
However, I'm anxiously wondering what we might see from (a hypothetical) Prime Minister Rudd on social and cultural issues. Rudd is clearly not as deeply conservative and socially negative as John Howard, but he still strikes me as a very conservative man. We may end up with a somewhat more positive and compassionate government - which would be a very good thing - but I won't be holding my breath waiting for dramatic reforms, even financially easy ones as with gay rights, refugee policy, and some symbolic actions that could be taken with Aboriginal issues.
We'll see. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
On another note, Rudd is slightly younger me. It looks as if, for the first time, I'll be living in a country where I'm older than the prime minister. Now that is a scary thought. Oh well, baby boomers rule.
About Me
- Russell Blackford
- Australian philosopher, literary critic, legal scholar, and professional writer. Based in Newcastle, NSW. My latest books are THE TYRANNY OF OPINION: CONFORMITY AND THE FUTURE OF LIBERALISM (2019); AT THE DAWN OF A GREAT TRANSITION: THE QUESTION OF RADICAL ENHANCEMENT (2021); and HOW WE BECAME POST-LIBERAL: THE RISE AND FALL OF TOLERATION (2024).
3 comments:
I can't even [i]remember[/i] the last time that Labor won an election. Although I voted Greens/Labor (and commented to the Liberals that were handing out cards "sorry, I'm not the type of guy that enjoys laughing at poor people") I have a feeling Howard will get up again.
It is the combination of
- Polls always over emphasising how well Labor go
- The sheer amount of seats needed to change to get Labor up
- The new electrol reforms that disadvatange young votes, as well as the homeless/new australians/low income earners
Makes me think the Liberals will do it again. Happy to be proved wrong!
^One frightening thing is that the last time there was a change of federal government from the conservatives to Labor was 1983, before you were even born.
Even more frightening is that I remember it well, and it doesn't seem that long ago to me. Eeek!
If it makes you feel better, I was born in Jan 83, so technically was alive for that election.
Post a Comment