Interviews with Latham by Andrew Denton (excellent as always) and John Faine AM 774 Melbourne,(also excellent) were understanding but penetrating.
Here we see a man who is a briliant thinker but not suited to the idiocy of party politics. In this connection reference has been made elsewhere to Professor John Hewson, the political intellectual who strayed into the 'chookyard' and got pecked to death!
John Faine asked Latham if he could see an antidote for the 'poison' which pervades the Canberra political scene. Latham replied: 'No'. In his view the political nightmare has passed beyond both its use-by date, and beyond redemption.
That this is a sad day for Labor is evident, but is it a sad day for democracy? No, not really. Because he said it like it is. And before things can change there has to be an understanding in the community generally that our democracy really is stuffed.
However, nothing can really by thoroughly and honestly examined in detail until an alternative is found. Back to John Faine's question.
Is there another alternative to the chaos that is the party sytem of (mis)government.
Yes there is, and the light is just beginning to dawn.
With the activation of the Secret Ballot Party there is now an alternative, which exists, not to seek power, but to end party politics, which has strangled our democracy.
Most of the people I have spoken to since August 16th are able to see the sense and power of the change in parliament to the secret ballot way of MP voting, freeing them from party pressure and freeing them to be representatives of their electorates, instead of the party machines which have ruled the system for the last century.
When Australia led the world with the 'Australian (secret) Ballot', for elections, it was called the era of democracy, because of the vast improvement it gave to the participation of the people.
But the final step, to prevent the formation of party power, which defeats the people's access to power, failed to appear.
Now is the time, when the mess of party politics has been so plainly exposed, to bite the bullet and complete our democracy. With secret ballots in parliament all the MPs can freely elect the best ministers and other senior positions in parliament, and decide all debated issues. Executives will no longer rule our parliaments but, instead, they will be answerable to our representatives.
The ballot for elections was the start. The ballot ruling in parliament will complete our democracy in a manner which will be a challenge to all other countries which are struggling to find the way to good government.
Until the distortion of party politics is replaced with the fairness and the order of the internal ballot in parliament, democracy cannot be a strong challenge to the evil of dictatorship.
It's time for party and sectarian politics to pass into history, unmissed and unmourned.
The world will then be in a position to progress with confidence towards a new basis of fair and efficient operation for the UN as well, without the incubus of a security council, but with each country having votes according to its population.
The human race can still hope for planet earth to become a secure place.
