In defence of kitchen cabinet and democracy

Now, a toxic smugness has swept over the Left.

In the age of social media, inconsequential opinions can be confused with important ones. When everyone you went to uni with and maybe a minor celebrity or two, post about how the government's refugee policies are wrong, people can be deluded into thinking that the argument is over.

In reality, the government's refugee policies were overwhelmingly endorsed at an election and continue to remain popular, in spite of the loss of support for much of their original program.

In fact, Scott Morrison probably speaks more for the average Australian, than many of our other politicians. He has argued that the government has a spending problem not a revenue problem, in light of fresh calls for an increase in the GST, which is in line with the mandate the public granted the government in 2013.

That isn't to say that he doesn't deserve to be made accountable, just like current Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, for some of the dubious practices that happened in offshore detention centres under their tenure.

However to say that isn't worthy of a thirty minute profile, which all politicians who are either up and comers or interesting personalities are treated with, due to his practices as Immigration Minister, is to deprive the public of getting to know the man behind the policies.

The utopian vision that the personality is removed from the debate, in favour of strict discussion on policy might be appealing to many. However it is very difficult to see where the policy begins and the personality ends.

Indeed when Bob Hawke took over the Labor leadership in 1983, he presided over some definitive reforms, not all of which would have been implemented had his predecessor Bill Hayden become Prime Minister.

By taking a constructivist view and looking at the government, the policy climate, the individuals responsible- including their background, values and objectives- we gain a holistic picture into what the government is doing and where it intends to take us.

It isn't Annabel Crabb that's dumbing down the debate. It's the critics who believe that our politicians and their policy positions are irrefutably good or evil and given no opportunity to show us who they are away from the partisan spin and shouting.