4 posts tagged “john howard”
Folks,
We do take our democracy for granted because things are just the way they are in Australia.
For instance, we all went to vote for our choice of government last weekend like it was a day's outing. We vote, we go home, we sit down to some chow, watch a bit of tele and then call it a night.
The next day, we discovered we had a new government. No big deal... we wake up, we do our daily rituals and the day pretty much goes like it always does.
And the photo above shows the former Prime Minister welcoming the incoming PM to the official residence as part of the handover process. All nice and cordial, happy snaps all round.
In all of this, it is very easy to become de-sensitised to the reality of what a large proportion of this planet would actually experience if THEY had a change of government. It'd be a complete opposite of the humdrum and cordiality that those of us lucky enough to live in a stable democracy actually experience. Carnage, bloodshed and fear wouldn't be strangers to them.
Despite what has been said and done during the recent election campaign, Australians of all political persuasions would surely agree that we are a lucky bunch indeed. If hating a politician for their arrogance and political ideals were the only things that riled us, then I'd suggest we do need to learn to take a broader perspective every now and again... just to keep things real.
Election's over. Time to buckle down and get to work.
Ninja
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/libs-implode-as-costello-bales-out/2007/11/25/1195975870395.html
Folks,
There are heaps of people reading this from afar. For many of these readers, John Howard was the only Australian leader they'd known.
And as much as Howard liked to delude himself as our elder-statesman, especially in Asia, the truth that our overseas friends needed to know was that he divided this country like no other Australian leader had before.
In his own electoral seat of Bennelong where there is a sizeable majority of Asian-Australians, he pandered to them only when it suited his own political needs. He was out and about during the campaign, but geewhizz, I can recall the anti-Asian venom he unleashed in the 1980s and 1990s.
And now, we read that one of his Liberal Party staffers had the audacity to suggest that Howard's loss on the weekend was due to "the f---ing Chinese", an apparent reference to Asian voters in Bennelong turning against Mr Howard.
Dear overseas friends, if you are reading this, you should forever remember John Howard as someone who ultimately didn't give a damn about anyone, let alone his Asian-Australia constituents, but his own political glory.
He finally got the result he deserved and I'm pleased to say that Australia has voted in significant numbers to reject that sort of cleverly-disguised hatred that Howard radiated on his own country.
We are all much better for turning away from Howard.
Ninja
Folks,
Most of you already know my views about this issue. Unions are not all bad albeit there are militant elements we're all aware of. That's like anything else - there are good and there are bad.
Without union backing, a whole generation of asbestosis-riddled workers who used to toil for James Hardie Industries would have got diddly squat compensation for being exposed to a lethal material.
Without unions, bosses will be able to ride roughshod over employees in a take-it-or-leave-it environment. I'd like to see a young worker try to negotiate a better deal for him/herself against a nasty prick of a boss.
Without unions, we'll see bosses use and abuse the "457" visa provision to import cheap labour in a bid to lower business costs and hence drive down wage levels. Sure, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry will deny this, but hey, I'm in business, too... I see what's happening and clearly the industrial relations balance has swung too far away from the average worker. I don't like to see unhappy workers coming to work feeling like they've been jipped everyday because they had no choice.
So, when you see Howard's ads spruiking about how nasty and evil unions are, think very carefully. What would the average worker gain by closing down small-big business? Where would the jobs be then?
Howard's anti-union ads are an insult to the average Aussie worker because it presumes they have no brains to see this simple picture.
All people want is a fair deal. Clearly, WorkChoices isn't delivering on this score.
Ninja
Folks,
I'd like to see how Howard-Costello responds to the housing affordability issue.
I'd also like them to debate Bernie Banton about the relevance of unions in our community today.
No theatrics, no hyperbole... just the facts as they are.
I'd like to see that.
Ninja
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