Article written by Claire Stroebel.
Well, it’s happened again. It’s time to change the toilet roll, it’s time to change the batteries in your smoke alarm, it’s time to turn the compost. The jokes are frankly endless, and if you don’t understand my meaning, well then, you need to read more.
We’ve changed Prime Ministers once again, and Australia is in a state of confusion. Panic would be wrong, we’ve been here before. The question is, why does it keep happening? And will Australia come out the other side all right?
Well, first things first, we live in a lucky country. Say what you want about certain aspects of the way things get done in our government, we have a lot. Of course, there are things that aren't perfect, and we still need to fix them, but we have a lot of good. We have decent healthcare, I like to believe that most people are good – call it naive if you will – our economy isn't terrible, and we don't have rabies (which Johnny Depp could have ruined). Even our politicians are good, especially compared to the rest of the world. My point is, we're doing all right as far as 'first world' countries go. I think we have little to worry about in terms of our future, but we can't ignore the fact that our politicians seem to care less and less about us, and care more and more about money and their friendships with corporations.
But how did this happen? Why does Australia keep going through Prime Ministers like changing the kitty litter? Well, I am certain that it's not our fault. For one thing, Australia has one of the highest voter turnouts on the planet. We're well-informed, we're well-educated, we talk to each other, and there's something to be said for the larrikin behaviour of Aussies. I really think that when we take the piss out of our politicians (see old episodes of Full Frontal, onions, and potatoes) it holds them accountable. Sure, it doesn't fix anything, but I think that it's important to make politicians take a long, hard look in the mirror even if it doesn't last – which seems to last less and less these days.
The point is, Australia isn't stupid. We know when to have a laugh and when to take things seriously, and I believe that we take our leaders seriously, even if the choice may be dubious to other voters. When politicians move around their players, however, there's little we can do. Politics are a little more than playground debates, raging on in comfortable chairs and cavernous halls.
So, what's in store for the lucky country? The truth is, no one truly knows. Despite this happening so often, it doesn't seem to be changing much for Australians. There's just this merry-go-round of people who think that they know what they're doing. Sure, at the start of this latest run of spills (I looked it up, Australia has been having spills for a LONG time), it seemed like a small thing. Julia Gillard took over from Kevin Rudd, and it all seemed a little silly, but things were fine. We had our first female Prime Minister, and I think a lot of people were pleased that it had finally happened, but it didn't take long for our politicians to start getting cranky that a lady was in charge, and they moved to have Tony Abbott take over.
While I recall there being a vote, I don't think Australians had a say in the matter (we were presented with few options), and so, it went on and on. We still have significant problems with our welfare system – young Aussies being the primary target – our disability care, taxes, refugees, etc., and it’s about time that we get a better leader to guide us through. Maybe Scott Morrison can help us, but the way things have been going on the hill, it's probably not long until he goes tumbling down as well. I honestly don't believe we'll implode like America, but I don't think it's long before something horrible happens because of the leadership spills. Everything that's happened so far just normalises unrest, and that's never good.
What can we do in the end? I know that I'm posing a lot of questions with no answers, but that's the state of things now. There are no real answers to something like this, we can't predict the future. My best short answer is; sit tight, nothing lasts forever (like our politicians, ha ha). My best long answer is; get involved and get informed. We may have the highest voter turnout, but we still have citizens complaining about the turnout of elections, who boast about how they don't even vote.
I can't stress enough how much votes matter. There have been many close calls in the past, and we need to stand united about how we feel, even if we're voting our separate ways. We can voice our opinions. I think it's sad that we don't do more satire about our government, as it keeps them apprised of their image. Plus, it's dead funny. Give Magda Szubanski a microphone, and you see if she can't make waves. You can be more active, attend protests, volunteer with the party of your choice, and educate the young people around you. Be informed. Read carefully. You'll be surprised at how easy it is, and it makes a lot of difference.
Doing all those things will help, but I believe that Australia will be all right. In the end, our nature is too kind, too clever, too peaceful for it to be anything else.
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