Break the cycle

David Leigh

With Greens and independents holding a few seats, it would not be difficult to create a coalition party. We saw the linking of Greens, TAP, The Wilderness Society, Getup and many other organizations, a couple of weeks ago, in a united front against the pulp mill and deforestation. Many great, deep-thinking minds are within those ranks and could be elevated to government. There are no university degrees needed to be a politician – obvious by the current standard of our leaders. What is needed is clearly thought-out policies that benefit all and not just a chosen handful.

BREAK THE CYCLE

Globally, in western civilisations, politics has endured the cycle of left – right swing. Those who feel disenfranchised by large corporations and the wealthy members of society generally slide to the left. Whether for reasons of societal pull or just interpolational spin doctoring – somehow more acceptable than class – gravitation to where one feels comfortable is common.

The opposite is usually practiced by the ‘disenfranchisors’ causing the political ‘weather house’ effect seen in most societies with, dare I say, a class structure, acknowledged or denied.

Tasmania, however, is somewhat of an anomally; the incumbent Labor government seems to favour the privileged whilst ignoring the wishes of the unheeled, a case of bare-foot politics replaced by barefaced lies.

Time comes around when the swing to right follows; the weather house shows rain and the right pops out with an umbrella in exchange for a vote.

Now, it would appear Tasmania is at a special time in its uniramous history. The uniqueness of its political structure, being both sides of the house are offering the same, is likely to be challenged. The pulp mill, deforestation and retard burns have galvanised the community into a desire for change. There is no point in electing a Liberal opposition when the state of play remains the same.

With Greens and independents holding a few seats, it would not be difficult to create a coalition party. We saw the linking of Greens, TAP, The Wilderness Society, Getup and many other organizations, a couple of weeks ago, in a united front against the pulp mill and deforestation. Many great, deep-thinking minds are within those ranks and could be elevated to government. There are no university degrees needed to be a politician – obvious by the current standard of our leaders. What is needed is clearly thought-out policies that benefit all and not just a chosen handful.

The only problem I can see is what to call this new united force. ‘One Tasmania’ has a nice ring to it, as does Forward Tasmania (pity about the initials) or Tasmanians over Politics (TOP). Seriously, it is worth thinking about and now rather than later, while the tidal surge is at its strongest.

The last federal election saw the creation of a new APOLITICAL party, The Coalition for Climate Change. In just 3 months, candidates were found and positioned. Their failing was, of course, time and money.

Tasmania is different however, to federal politics in that it does not need large sums of money to communicate a political message. With the infrastructure of coalition already in place and forums like Tasmanian Times with which to communicate, the majority of the half million Tasmanians can be convinced to vote for real change and not Labor under a new name…

Your call Tasmania.

David Leigh.