Loser’s corner is a lonely place

Loser’s corner is a lonely place. As an unsuccessful candidate I congratulate all candidates for their courage and commitment to democracy. I also congratulate successful candidates and thank the thousands of electors I met at their homes and on the campaign trail. I am greatly encouraged by the grass roots support, noting that 6th was a credible result for a low budget campaign that focussed on a track record of hard work, government experience and meeting people.

I commiserate with the unsuccessful – With 20-20 hindsight, I am sure we can all think of better things on which to have spent our time, energy and money!

Reflecting on the campaign I consider that:
The Greens have no bargaining collateral
A 25 member House is inadequate for our Westminster system of Cabinet government, and
House of Assembly seats cost around $100,000

The Greens have no bargaining power with the major parties. Encouraging their supporters to stop at 5 resulted in few preferences flowing to moderate Liberal or Labor candidates. Having wasted their quota surpluses in 4 electorates, The Greens now face an absence of friendlies within the major parties with whom to negotiate. Instead they choose to sit in a chamber of opponents and the green ideology remains on the margins – incapable of accommodating mainstream views. So Nick (McKim) it’s your fault that no-one is talking to you!

The 25 member House of Assembly lacks a backbench that is needed to:
Keep performance pressure on Ministers
Do the electoral work that keeps government in touch with the people

To counter the perception that a seat can be bought, controls are needed on individual candidate spending. In this election, around $100,000 of profile advertising seems to have been enough to ‘buy’ a seat in parliament. What do we really know of the candidates, their backgrounds, their skills their understanding of policy . And what will it cost next time! This sort of money is only available to the well-heeled or those supported by them.

Representation by ‘Cash Splash’ is not a good for democracy.

That’s the politics, now the policy.

I love Tasmania and the enormous potential we have. But 20% of the human capital of this great state lives under conditions of inter-generational social disadvantage. How can we possibly achieve our potential on less than 80% of engine power? This is the great challenge – to intervene in this cycle, to relieve future pressure on the welfare system, the hospitals and the prisons. It is much better to have these people contributing to the economic and social life of Tasmania than drawing on it. This is no more starkly demonstrated than in affordable housing programs that build more 2 bedroom units in areas of existing social disadvantage – far from services. What is needed is affordable housing that is dispersed through private homes areas, where children grow up with alternative role models, ones that demonstrate values such as reward for effort and personal responsibility.

As a society we stand condemned for standing idly at the end of this pipeline, then demeaning and ostracising those who followed the inevitable course!

Loser’s corner is a lonely place. – I bid you farewell!
Tony Mulder, unsuccessful Liberals Franklin candidate, http://tonymulder.blogspot.com/
Tony Mulder