The Turnbull/ Dutton “Tag team pre ANZAC day presentation” on visa changes based on “Australian Values “was a chilling demonstration of the gulf between leadership and the electorate
The Prime ministers smiling delivery of “equality and mutual respect” was unnerving in exposing his short term political memory loss, a plight obviously shared by the immigration minister.
Unable to channel Lord Kitchener, Turnbull offered spine chilling Rhetoric of unquestioned core values recklessly flying(by helicopter?) the face of the educated cynicism of the public.
‘Equality’ is an unquestioned fully coal fired Australian value unless you are female ,gay (socially conforming children also are guaranteed protection) or indigenous in which case you are quietly spat out with the pips .
Peter Dutton similarly has a unsinkable view of honesty and integrity which can be interpreted as “those things you say when you think the microphone is off “
It is not the capacity to pull up the drawbridge or hide behind self interest that draws us together, but “mateship” forged through being the best person you can in a bloody terrible situation.
The crucible of war has transformed strangers of different languages ,cultures and religions into mates.It is expressed in “Simpson and the donkey” and “the Christmas truce” ,it’s also expressed in the good Samaritan currently in detention whose visa would be refused by both the government and opposition These same values enable individuals to heroically, against all the odds stand up against the might of institutional injustice and corruption.
On the eve of ANZAC the internationally challenging Australian values of inclusion, courage and compassion are far more recognizably articulated by the Muslim faith of Ataturk than the political testimonies of Turnbull ,Dutton or Shorten
Lest we forget
The Venerable Peter MacLeod-Miller, Archdeacon of Albury and the Hume St Matthew’s Anglican Church Albury
