Similar trends here in NZ I suspect the two main parties in the 30’s and dependent on 3 party coalitions to cobble together a govt. The main parties are largely indistinguishable from each other in delivery.
Based on other countries with lots of political groups, the parties 'adapt' by adopting increasingly niche and extreme policies that cater to shrinking, yet incredibly active, loud and zealous, party bases. The common interests of most citizens are sidelined in favour of aggressive pursuit of trivial partisan politics, which only serves to destabilise the society, if not turn it into something resembling Lebanon or the Balkans.
The signs are grim for Australia as well. The major party bases have been completely hollowed out, with extreme policies seemingly held back only because the elected MPs - often blooded in a zero sum, backstabbing crucible that resembles a medieval guild - are more interested in saving their own political skins than pursuing policies that they might actually believe in. Sooner or later though that cynical safeguard will collapse, and we'll experience the full brunt of what the Labor, Liberal and National Party bases want for this country. Namely, the same extremist, radical and niche changes that the overwhelming majority of voters are completely uninterested in adopting.
From my perspective, the only way out is to form a new political force that assertively pursues a moderate ideology, and ONLY a moderate ideology. No attempts to introduce something ostensibly popular and benign, while introducing radical changes by stealth. Just moderate ideas that resonate with the majority of Australians, and everything else assumed to be self-interested proposals from vested interests and niche groups that don't represent the rest of us.
To do this, we need a renewed focus on honesty with and respect for the average Australian. I don't expect politics to ever transform into a lie-free world, but our politicians need to dial down the spin and make serious, comcerted attempts to explain what they're doing in plain English, why they're doing it, and what they're going to do if things don't go to plan. Never mind trying to appease the media - they'll never stop seeking to create drama out of nothing, so let them. Their levels of trust are even lower than politicians, so better to speak plainly to the masses and let hack journalists continue to dirty their own reputations with lazy, mendacious 'news'.
‘Does it feel like that kind of swing is on?’ - eg the 5-6% swing that unseated PM Howard in favour of Rudd?
I don’t feel such a swing, yet. But I ask myself:
Q1: Was Howard’s government at the end of its 4 terms performing better, or worse, than Albanese’s at the end of his first term?
Q2: Was Rudd’s team at the contest with Howard more impressive, or less impressive, than Dutton’s team contesting the election with Albanese?
We’ll all have our own answers to such questions, but my answers are: Howard at his tiredest was better than Albanese and his very weak team. And Rudd offered the unknown of impressive claims (“This crazy spending has to stop”), whereas Dutton offers an OK team with some real stars in the wings.
That leads me to think another 5-6% swing is easy to imagine.
As Trump likes to observe, “We’ll have to see what happens”!
Similar trends here in NZ I suspect the two main parties in the 30’s and dependent on 3 party coalitions to cobble together a govt. The main parties are largely indistinguishable from each other in delivery.
Based on other countries with lots of political groups, the parties 'adapt' by adopting increasingly niche and extreme policies that cater to shrinking, yet incredibly active, loud and zealous, party bases. The common interests of most citizens are sidelined in favour of aggressive pursuit of trivial partisan politics, which only serves to destabilise the society, if not turn it into something resembling Lebanon or the Balkans.
The signs are grim for Australia as well. The major party bases have been completely hollowed out, with extreme policies seemingly held back only because the elected MPs - often blooded in a zero sum, backstabbing crucible that resembles a medieval guild - are more interested in saving their own political skins than pursuing policies that they might actually believe in. Sooner or later though that cynical safeguard will collapse, and we'll experience the full brunt of what the Labor, Liberal and National Party bases want for this country. Namely, the same extremist, radical and niche changes that the overwhelming majority of voters are completely uninterested in adopting.
From my perspective, the only way out is to form a new political force that assertively pursues a moderate ideology, and ONLY a moderate ideology. No attempts to introduce something ostensibly popular and benign, while introducing radical changes by stealth. Just moderate ideas that resonate with the majority of Australians, and everything else assumed to be self-interested proposals from vested interests and niche groups that don't represent the rest of us.
To do this, we need a renewed focus on honesty with and respect for the average Australian. I don't expect politics to ever transform into a lie-free world, but our politicians need to dial down the spin and make serious, comcerted attempts to explain what they're doing in plain English, why they're doing it, and what they're going to do if things don't go to plan. Never mind trying to appease the media - they'll never stop seeking to create drama out of nothing, so let them. Their levels of trust are even lower than politicians, so better to speak plainly to the masses and let hack journalists continue to dirty their own reputations with lazy, mendacious 'news'.
‘Does it feel like that kind of swing is on?’ - eg the 5-6% swing that unseated PM Howard in favour of Rudd?
I don’t feel such a swing, yet. But I ask myself:
Q1: Was Howard’s government at the end of its 4 terms performing better, or worse, than Albanese’s at the end of his first term?
Q2: Was Rudd’s team at the contest with Howard more impressive, or less impressive, than Dutton’s team contesting the election with Albanese?
We’ll all have our own answers to such questions, but my answers are: Howard at his tiredest was better than Albanese and his very weak team. And Rudd offered the unknown of impressive claims (“This crazy spending has to stop”), whereas Dutton offers an OK team with some real stars in the wings.
That leads me to think another 5-6% swing is easy to imagine.
As Trump likes to observe, “We’ll have to see what happens”!