The leadership qualities of a long-dead parrot

'Be careful what you say,' said my friend, 'this guy is fanatical about the local colony of parrots and if he suspects this new port proposal will scare even one of his parrots, the port project is dead!'

This was serious stuff for a remote area a few years ago.

The man picked us up in his mini-bus and we drove to inspect the local foreshore area. All the way he prattled on about the local parrots, their expanding population, mating habits, and how they were encouraging tourists.

Sitting in the back seat, I was suitably disinterested but he startled me out of my daydream by asking, 'And do you like parrots?!'

'Oh sure,' I said. 'But I really like them better when they're steamed or fried and served with peas and maybe chips.'

Aghast, he slowed the vehicle down while he caught his breath, then replied, 'You mean to say…you would eat parrots?'

'Parrots?' I quizzed, 'Oh I am sorry, I thought you said carrots.'

He had clearly never seen Monty Python's dead parrot segment so the humour was lost on him, but he did astound me with his fanatical behaviour and obsession about the parrots.

This man would have readily sacrificed a small regional port and hundreds of job opportunities to save annoying a few parrots during the construction phase. Such is the fervour of zealots living in the green fantasy…

The green machine has been successful in deluding federal and state leaders for the last 30 years while merrily declaring national parks, sensitive fish habitats, and marine parks that together almost totally encompass the whole country as 'no-go areas'. This is a major problem for commercial activities, regional development, regional employment (particularly in Indigenous areas) and – most importantly – it serves to constrain defence infrastructures needed for border protection. We are a sitting duck (or should that be parrot?) for any potential invaders.

Australia has the highest national park area and the highest shoreline length per head of population of any country in the world. In reality, that is not something to boast about when nearby emboldened nations are sabre rattling.

Just look at how quickly the first world war started. Within seven days of Austria declaring war on Serbia, there were seven nations, via their alliances, at war.

The second world war started just as quickly, with an emboldened and well-armed Germany invading Poland, and later the Japanese joined in by attacking Pearl Harbor – both occasions without any polite notice of intent.

America and the UK were well prepared militarily for the second world war, but how well is Australia prepared for a possible third global encounter?

In the event of a surprise attack on Australia by the Norfolk Island fishing club during a long weekend, I think the odds will be with the fishing club.

Our political leaders over the last 30 years have been lacklustre at best, and have allowed our nation and its people to become weak. Paul Keating declared us a banana republic, and then his words became fact. At 22 per cent overdraft interest rates, Keating established the nation's highest percentages of company liquidations and receiverships, including my company and its 300 staff who went to the wall.

Even John Howard – purported to be the best – in my view as a small business owner was fairly ordinary. He introduced the grossly unfair retrospective taxation and ignored the pleas of small business to incentivise their lives by removing obstructions like payroll tax. The wheelbarrowing of Turnbull into the inner sanctum of the Liberal Party, serves as an abysmal failure in judgment and counts as strike three from my perspective. Now, Howard sits in the cheap seats flicking criticism of Trump's 'style'. Poor form indeed.

How could we forget the nation's two worst Prime Ministers, Rudd and Gillard, with the latter uttering, 'Oi'll never bring in a carbon tax under moi leadership!' to ensure voter confidence for a few hours? Gillard then sliced the defence budget to the lowest percentage of GDP ever.

Abbott should have sold 51 per cent of the ABC before they had the chance to bring him down. Today, the ABC still lingers at the epicentre of the Woke-Left and everything anti-Australian.

Morrison betrayed both the Liberal and the Christian brands and should've handed the mantle to Dutton for toppling Turnbull.

The difference between a leader and a shallow politician is the fact that the leader will do what is good for the majority. Leadership is convincing people what they don't want to do, but need to do. Check for yourself and watch Braveheart again!

Alas, sooner or later the price for national ineptness and compromise has to be paid and for sure we are an easy target for a regional bully. We are a massive land with huge mineral and agricultural wealth and a small population left to defend it. But wait! There's more! Australia now has an incredibly stupid and weak leadership focused on socialist trivia, the enlargement of highly paid unionised bureaucracies, and the appeasement of the UN policies of Net Zero. These Lilliputians, with the leadership qualities of a long-dead parrot, have no idea the size and power of the approaching Gulliver.

On key basics such as port infrastructures for regional development and defence, the likely frontlines of Western Australia and Queensland have a total of 20,000 kilometres of coastline averaging one port every 700 kilometres. To bring some perspective, India's most successful state of Gujarat has a port every 53 kilometres. The UK has a port every 65 kilometres, all of which were an essential ingredient in the successful defence of UK in two world wars.

To establish a new port in Australia, not only have the national parks and marine parks been enshrined, the incredibly slow and expensive permit process keeps hundreds of EPA and APBC bureaucrats busy with ever-increasing regulations and fees. This ensures pesky but motivated middle and small businesses are kept away from 'pristine coastlines', while only the large wealthy companies can afford to engage in such an ordeal.

The 5 million Australians working in small business, many struggling to survive even when working 60-80 hours per week, can all tell you that despite leaders bleating 'we're all in this together', it is small business that always carries the load. Most small businesses are family businesses and unlike many of our recent leaders, especially those from union or legal backgrounds, they understand priorities and what actually works.

So, where do we find a Lee Kuan Yew – a talented leader that prioritised the prosperity of his nation and its people at the head of his focus and decision-making?

As for me, for the next 1,000-odd days until the next election, I'm going on a healthy diet with a daily jog followed by a refreshing glass of parrot juice.