The current stoush between Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard and the enmity behind it all will damage our country, leading nowhere, but may annihilate the Labor Party. That the ballot on Monday will only give a temporary reprieve is clear. The half-hearted assurance by Rudd that he will not pursue the prime - minister-ship should he lose the ballot, quite clearly means that the Monday ballot will not achieve longer term settlement for him. He is too deeply convinced that he has a public following and a major role to play. But the Labor Party does not want an ambition-obsessed leader with little respect for the rest of the team.
What sticks our plainly is that the factional system in the Labor Party breeds division and enmity very similar to the division in the community created by the political parties.
This messed-up state of democracy in Australia is proof positive that factions and party politics do not mix with any definition of democracy. Surely this nonsense has no relationship to the people at large except to divide and dis-empower us all. Where is self government - the government which Abraham Lincoln so usefully defined as government OF the people, spelling out the need for government to be strong, to give good order and discipline, government BY the people which determines that powerful people must never be all-powerful in government, and government FOR the people which is to ensure that the needs of all the people will be duly respected.
In other words, while the majority must rule, there is to always be the latitude for the needs of the weak to receive the consideration that they deserve. There is no doubt that Lincoln's definition echoes the deeply respected 'Golden Rule': 'Do unto others as you would that they should do unto you'.
In Australia we are fond of the expression 'a fair go' which also sums it up - meaning a caring society. And there is no good reason that progress will ever be hindered by giving everyone a fair go. NO, that is the very climate in which everyone can contribute their best, making a prosperous, fair society.
But it's quite clear that in the absence of the ballot ruling in parliament, to give the discipline of a level political playing field with independence for all members, and local forums in which the people can have a part to play, we shall continue to slide backwards.
God help us all - until we can see the people rise up to claim their true democratic governing role, in a real parliamentary democracy, upheld by the operation of the ballot in all our parliaments.
No comments:
Post a Comment