Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

The election of a lifetime

By Everald Compton - posted Tuesday, 12 February 2013


• Every government in the world must be fiscally conservative - get into surplus and stay there. Australia must lead the world in this. The days of vote buying are over. The endless years of entitlement are finished. Debt is no longer fashionable, especially with individual voters, who know from bitter experience that one day all bills have to be paid. Most have learned the tragic outcomes of a life of greed, and don't want the hand-outs that pollies love to bestow on them. They are sick of being treated like prostitutes.

• Infrastructure is the most neglected element of the economic and social fabric of our nation, and has been ever since Federation. Most politicians have always reckoned that infrastructure earns them no votes, mainly because projects take so long to be planned, financed, approved and built. They hold the foolish belief that voters get angry if they don't see results before the next election. Thus, we have a nation that is crying out for new and upgraded freight railways that will get long distance trucks off the road, cut highway maintenance and reduce pollution. Just as pressing is the need for fast underground rail systems in our cities which will offer travellers a service every five minutes. Voters can see little value in driving cars on crowded city streets, but current rail services give them no option. Our ports are not geared for the age of technology. They are labour intensive and very slow in turning ships around. Big investment is needed in their automation and in their environmental stewardship of the surrounding oceans. Power stations are antiquated, using too much fuel, being too costly to run and environmentally unfriendly. Additionally, all power lines must go underground in every street in the nation. Airports are unable to handle their traffic. New runways are long overdue, and Sydney is crying out for a new airport as a matter of urgency. Along with this, we must have fast passenger trains connecting Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. They can replace a lot of air services. I could add much more, but I have said enough to indicate that any party that goes to the 2013 election without a national infrastructure plan for the next two decades should not get your vote. They won't be getting mine. The time has come to make infrastructure a political life or death issue in the minds of all candidates.

• It beggars imagination that this nation, which occupies the driest continent on earth, does not have a plan to drought-proof the Inland. Nor do we have a strategy to flood-proof the Coast, given the extreme weather conditions we experience from time to time. Both of these challenges can be overcome simultaneously if we have the will power to do it. They are achievable at little cost in comparison to the wasteful handouts that all governments wallow in so as to get our votes. One year's gambling money will bring a continuous water supply from the Gulf Rivers to the Eastern States. A similar amount will bring water from the Kimberly to Perth and will stop the building of utterly useless desalinisation plants. There are about 20 rivers that regularly flood coastal cities that need new or enlarged dams, no matter what the Greens say. We should have built them half a century ago to control the water flow. These essential projects would also provide considerable reserves of water to handle bush fires by diverting flow over the mountains into inland streams. This is really exciting stuff that will make the voters sing songs of joy, but pollies prefer to get their votes by frightening them.

Advertisement

• The rejuvenation of labour markets to improve productivity is now long overdue. The Australian workforce is less productive than most nations in the G20, making us ultra-uncompetitive on the world scene. It is irresponsible to stir voter discontent about the evils of predator employers, even though a few of them are less than human. Some enlightened changes are needed out in the workplace which are fair to both sides, reduce costs and improve output, as we are living beyond our means. The reform of the labour market will be a volatile issue on the campaign trail. The Party that tries to sweep this issue under the carpet will lose - and will deserve too.

• Five million voters are over 50 years of age - more than enough to decide who governs our nation. Many are highly concerned that their superannuation will run-out when they still have a decade or so of life expectancy. Additionally, they have rapidly declining confidence in the ability of the large Super Funds to look after them adequately. Whichever side has the most enlightened superannuation strategy will make rapid strides towards victory. They will also need to have positive policies on mature age employment and age-friendly housing, as these are key issues for Seniors.

You may be surprised that I don't have refugees on my list, but I believe that while politicians and the media immorally thrive on vilifying boat arrivals, a growing number of people like me feel that it's time to calm down and stop trying to re-implement the White Australia Policy. Most countries in the world have got a refugee problem, yet we developed hysteria about it and became a joke in the eyes of the world.

Let's face reality, process them all on-shore quickly, send the thugs home and concentrate on giving those who remain the opportunity to become good citizens. The party that runs on this positive platform will get a lot of votes. The Federal Budget will also save billions of dollars in wasteful expenditure.

There are lots of other issues that will get a few days publicity during the campaign, but we can chat about them as the election saga proceeds. However, let me say that I will be strongly supporting Disability Insurance and the Gonski Education plan. The current concepts of both can be improved, but they represent the fundamental fibre of an enlightened nation.

My final election comment for the moment is not one that I make with any sense of national pride. Nevertheless, I must say that I fear that this election will go down to the wire on the issue of whom the voters dislike the least - Julia or Tony.

Advertisement

Voters were distressed about this choice last time, and they like it much less this time. But, there is no alternative. All the leadership challengers have had their chances and seem to have now taken vows of silence.

Unless one of them experiences a rush of blood and stages a dramatic Hawke-Hayden type coup at the very last minute, it is game on for Abbott and Gillard. They will ruthlessly punch one another to the brink of oblivion. It will not be a pretty sight.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All

This article was first published in Everald@Large. You can subscribe by clicking here



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

31 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Everald Compton is Chairman of The Longevity Forum, a not for profit entity which is implementing The Blueprint for an Ageing Australia. He was a Founding Director of National Seniors Australia and served as its Chairman for 25 years. Subsequently , he was Chairman for three years of the Federal Government's Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Everald Compton

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Everald Compton
Article Tools
Comment 31 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy