(Updated on Sunday)
Friends, tomorrow Australia goes to the polling booths to elect the Federal Government for the next three years.
The two contenders for Prime Minister are shown in the photograph. They are Julia Gillard from the Labor Party (Democrats) and Tony Abbott from the Liberal Coalition (Republicans). They are both very determined, very capable people but they have very different agendas. And, as you can see, little love is lost between them.
Abbott of course represents Big Business which strongly favour a Liberal Government. News Limited papers (owned and controlled by Rupert Murdoch, the world’s most greedy capitalist) are urging their readers to vote for Abbott even in the Daily Telegraph, the paper most read by blue collar workers! It seems ironic that workers, those who get their hands dirty, are being told to vote for the Big End of town, for the capitalist system.
It is especially ironic given that the Liberal Coalition were thrown out on their ears at the last election because of Work Choices, a system that advantaged employers and punished the workers by reducing their wages and conditions and forced them onto individual contracts. Abbott was instrumental in bringing in this punitive measure.
But even more ironically, some of the broadsheet newspapers, those read by the people who wear suits and live in the more prestigious suburbs, are urging their readers to vote for Labor. It’s hard to make sense of the current situation. Suddenly black is white and white is black.
Stepping aside from the local situation in Australia, it seems to me to be completely ridiculous to, in 2010, still divide a country along a worker/boss system. I mean things have changed somewhat since the eighteen hundreds when miners and factory workers slaved twelve hours a day, six days a week in inhuman conditions for a pittance. This injustice brought about unions and the battle between unions and bosses raged on and on. Sadly, it still goes on in many countries in the world including America, Australia, the U.K., etc.
The world is bogged down in this anachronistic capitalist/worker divide. It shouldn’t be. We should have a world that is run to advantage all the people in the world, not to advantage a small elite groups of greedy people and corporations. We should run our political and economic system to ensure equality, to ensure that the disadvantaged are looked after, that exploitation is minimized, that the environment is protected.
Instead we have a system where the rich pay little tax and they try to ensure that Liberal (Republican) type governments are elected because they know that such governments will give them a friendly ear and tax advantages and approve of mining and exploration with little regard for the environment.
We need a change in the way the world is run! Hopefully Julia Gillard will win our election and get on with making Australia a place that operates for the benefit of all Australians, not just for the wealthy elite and corporations!
I can but hope.
UPDATE: SUNDAY.
Well, the people have spoken. The result is a disaster (though vote counting is still going on as it will for days).
It appears that we have a hung Parliament with the two major parties getting an equal number of seats with four or five Independents holding the balance of power. Some people obviously confused State issues with Federal issues while others supported the Greens who promised to bring in gay rights and a heavy carbon tax which will significantly raise living costs for everyone. Happy days!
People get the government they deserve.
Never was there a truer statement.
Thank you for explaining the Australia situation. Ironies abound! I live in an elite conclave and one of the reasons I post on an Australian blog is to reach out and it is part of being a World citizen. I hope Julia Gillard wins! There is too much of the cruel, bi-polar division in our precious world.
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Hope you have better luck in Austrailia. Here in America the game is rigged no matter who wins.
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Grace and 76-water, this may have been an Australian-based blog but most of the people who commented here were from overseas, principally from America.
Thanks for your best wishes in this election. Much of the media has been pushing the Liberal barrow which is pretty disgusting and shows that here to much of the game is rigged!
Media monopolies must be broken up.
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Grace Reply:
August 21st, 2010 at 12:01 am
have been? were? Going somewhere?
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The MSM here in the US is reporting a tight race. Goodwill to all.
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Things are yet to be decided and I am sure a lot of Australia is feeling anxious, like me..
I can’t begin to show my disgust at John Howard (Ex-PM) parading around at the liberal party function declaring victory with his token smug look. John Howard and his ‘elitist’ mates are happy with the results, it may mean some senior consulting positions for has beens like them.. Peter Costello’s behaviour on channel nine showcased his pompous and condescending attitude…I won’t even comment on Tony Abbott, as I feel like he doesn’t really know what he is in this for, or what he really believes in…
I hope Julia Gillard is able to reach some kind of deal with the Greens and Independents in order to form government. This hung parliament should show Labor that there is a lot left to be done to win over the hearts and trust of the Australian people. Labor could have campaigned more about the positives of their leadership over the past few years rather than point out the coalitions flaws (as many as there are). I still believe Australian Labor cares about average Australians and their future. I actually see the National Broadband Network as a huge positive…Labor didn’t use this to their advantage in the campaign either…they could have explained to voters the importance of technology and the impact that rural technology could have on cities and vice-versa… We seem to have lost the rural vote and not gained much at all this election. I hope Labor use this time to overlook in-party factions and really come out strong and united.
Anyone who couldn’t plainly see the hypocrisy of Murdoch media during this and past elections needs to have a more careful look… It is very clear where his loyalties lie…not really democracy when you try and coerce people into voting for who HE thinks will benefit him the most..
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David G Reply:
August 22nd, 2010 at 7:44 am
Great comment, BillyKat!
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“This hung parliament should show Labor that there is a lot left to be done to win over the hearts and trust of the Australian people. Labor could have campaigned more about the positives of their leadership over the past few years rather than point out the coalitions flaws (as many as there are). ”
This part of the comment reminds me of Ralph Nader and the American elections.
I actually registered and voted Green, once. Everytime Nader had even a minute of Air Time, it would be spent, talking dirt about the Democrats! I couldn’t believe that such an obviously smart man would waste everybody’s time like that. We all know about what Sound Bytes, since the maniacal laugh, taken out of context and played over and over on a loop, did for one candidate – it ruined the then Democratic leader’s chances… Why would Nader spend one second criticizing others when all he had was that one minute…?
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My thought go out to your people. Watch out for government double-speak which might mislead the public. Don’t know of any checks and balances that you might have in place. Can you trust your news service?
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Grace, though I was initially disappointed, the outcome for Australia might prove to be beneficial. Neither of the two mainstream parties won and, to form a government, they will have to compromise and work with the Greens and Independents who are promising Parliamentary reform in areas like Question time, etc.
76-water, all Governments use double-speak. A classic example is the one where America declares it has pulled its troops out of Iraq but is leaving 50,000 there. Regarding our news services, Murdoch has control over large areas of the Australian media especially newspapers and television but not all. Most Australians are aware of his bias towards capitalism!
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I am extremely disappointed to see that you played the Australian election the way the corporate media does.
The Green Party is probably the closest to your anti-capitalist politics. Why diss them?
A carbon tax with dividends to the poor is most likely the ONLY way to stop global warming!
Appealing to the good nature of 6 billion humans to save us all will not work.
Until it is expensive to drive a big-ass truck, give each child their own four-wheeler, and keep the thermostat at 65 in the summer and 85 in the winter, the planet is doomed.
If people wish to pollute our common atmosphere, that is their right. Let them pay for it!
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David G Reply:
August 23rd, 2010 at 7:38 am
Wagelaborer, unfortunately the Greens in Australia have rather extreme position on some things. Overall, however, they fit better with the Labor Party and I am hopeful that Labor, once the votes are counted, will be able to form government with the support of the Greens and Independents.
If the Liberals (Repubs) get back in I think I’ll emigrate to the moon!
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Ma kee wai, thanks for calling by and giving us food for thought. What you say has much merit especially how the bloodsuckers bleed the lower classes!
Cheers.
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