Kim Wingerei

If this week of political machinations, tactical manouverings and partisan grandstanding hasn’t proved beyond doubt what the real problem with our democracy is, I don’t know what will. We don’t live in a democracy, we live in a particracy.   (more…)

As we decry what many say is the most incompetent Government in living memory, it’s important not to fall into the trap of just waiting for it to be replaced, thinking all will be well henceforth. We need to look at how to avoid Australia ever having to experience this kind of dysfunction again. Just electing another party is not enough – like peeing in your pants to keep warm, feels good for a while until it goes cold or smelly or both. (more…)

As the Morrison government stumbles from fumble to bungle on a daily basis, Labor leader Bill Shorten is keeping a low profile. Would this not be his turn to shine, or is he just biding his time? (more…)

As much as we like to talk about the failures – or absence – of political leadership in Australia over the last decade, there is an equal dearth of responsible and accountable leadership in both the business sector and elsewhere in society. (more…)

The Wentworth by-election was not just a resounding loss for the Liberal Party, but also the clearest message yet that the people have had enough of party politics. Fielding an impressive and like-able candidate who did (almost) nothing wrong in his campaign, the Labor Party lost, too. (more…)

Our Prime Minister has declared that the Wentworth election threatens the stability of our country unless a majority vote for the Liberal candidate. It may be the most hotly contested in living memory, and the Wentworth by-election also reveals much about why our democracy is broken and needs fixing! (more…)

The Ghosts of Eureka are still haunting us. Terra Australis has come a long way since the rebellion of 1854, but that last crucial step to become a fully independent nation again, remains elusive. (more…)

As trust in our political leaders continues to decline, writings and commentary decrying the malaise in which our democracy finds itself are booming. Everybody has a view of what’s wrong. Much of it along similar lines of lack of leadership, the short-term focus on elections, the 24 hour news cycle and the adversarial nature of the political discourse. Plus, of course, the inevitable Facebook-, Murdoch- and ABC-bashing, lamenting populism, trashing Trump-ism and generally blaming all the other ‘ism’s’ except one’s own. (more…)

From waving Au Pairs through the immigration queue, throwing money at unsuspecting charities and denying medical treatments for children – to ignoring climate change and the bullying culture that is endemic to party politics; what the last few weeks of politics have shown above all, is that our political leaders just don’t know the difference between being right and doing right. (more…)

John Menadue and Ian McAuley pointed out in ‘A new leader, but no sight of leadership’ the lack of leadership in the Liberal Party. And it’s not just the one party, the lack of leadership in Australian politics is firmly rooted in a political system that attracts the mediocre, rewards the conformists and preserves the status quo at the cost of progress. (more…)

As Malcolm Turnbull was pushed from pillar to post on his National Energy Guarantee and renewable targets over the last month or so, Bill Shorten and his team were enjoying the spectacle from across the aisle. At no point did it occur to them that if they stepped in to support the proposed renewable energy targets – insufficient as they may be – they could have ensured that we at least had some targets. Labours own target is 50% renewables by 2030. But rather than compromising on a solution that could ensure at least a target better than no target, they sat on their hands. Seeing the self-destruction of a political opponent is, of course, more important than taking action against the destruction of our planet. (more…)

On Monday the Fairfax-Ipsos poll showed that the combined support for Labour and the Liberal/National coalition was 68% – down almost 10% since the 2016 election. In other words, one third of voters prefer neither party. On Tuesday, we witnessed the unsavoury spectacle of yet another leadership spill in the Liberal Party; the sixth such spill in ten years within the major parties. The decline in support for the majors is closely linked to how they conduct their affairs and is at the heart of why trust in politicians is at an all-time low. But it is still a welcome development – the decline, not the spectre of Peter Dutton as PM. (more…)

The use of labels in the public debate is too often a lazy way of dismissing an idea or an opponent. However, Richard Denniss’ use of neoliberalism in his recent Quarterly Essay works well. He uses it as a catch-all for the ills of public policy formulation in Australia over the past several decades – in essence, the over-emphasis on economics as the only determining factor of our national wealth and individual happiness, and the dire consequences of that emphasis. (more…)

Listening to journalists and commentators on the hustings this week, the apathy of the electorate stands out more than ever. As seasoned political commentator Laura Tingle said on the ABC’s 7:30 report: “we are seeing a level of disillusion and disengagement that I haven’t seen in 35 years of federal political reporting.”

The national papers are also showing little interest in the ‘Super Saturday’ by-elections. Four out of the five seats are held by Labour and one – Mayo in Adelaide – by The Central Alliance (previously known as the Nick Xenophon Team). As the balance of power in the House of Representatives is not at stake, nobody outside those electorates really cares.

One could argue that nothing is at stake, except for the careers of those being elected (or not).

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A flood (by my modest standards) of social media comments to my recent post – We have to talk (about) Turkey – was a poignant reminder that so many believe that democracy is mainly about free elections. The way many local commentators (and politicians) respond to President Trump’s actions also indicate the same misapprehension among those that should know better. Democracy is a system of government designed to protect and uphold the rights of the people. And to protect the people from government. In that sense, the case of the ‘Canberra Two’ is both scary and illuminating. (more…)