party politics

The present pre-election shenanigans are increasingly irritating. Every day I am bombarded with television advertisements espousing the personal benefit to my back pocket of voting for this party or that. My letterbox is frequently overloaded with party based propaganda that I no doubt paid for somewhere along the line, but didn't ask for and certainly didn't authorise. Country drives are marred by ubiquitous roadside signs emblazoned with political party colours.

It seems that this election has a little to do with presenting a vote-worthy plan and a lot to do with utilising advertising know-how to attract votes. Every cell in my body is resisting this dumbing down of politics that plays to my base instincts. I would gladly bury my head in the ground while the politicians and would-be politicians play their little games.

Except I can't. There are a few issues that are very important to me this election, so I'm paying more attention to the para-messages than ever. (Because the messages are so inane and dollar focused) In fact I wrote to a couple of politicians and asked them to let me know what their stance is on the environment, world poverty and refugees. I don't know if it was because I also told them I won't be voting for them due to their support for the pulp mill, but I haven't had much response...

...until today when I received a hand written letter from our present politician advising me that he didn't have time to address my individual concerns and I should refer to his previous public comments for guidance in my decision about who to aware my second vote to.

Thanks mate! Appreciate the help there!

What I'd really like to see is a party that cares... not about winning my vote, but about doing what is right, acting with integrity, responding with compassion. Making decisions that might not be so great for our economy, but that acknowledge we have a responsibility to the earth and to people less well off than ourselves to do more than just make money for our own benefit. I'd like to see a party that cares about social justice, not just in word, but in action, that charts a course for the good of humanity not just the good of their popularity. A party that doesn't see winning as the aim of the game, but good governance.

At the moment I can only see one party doing this, and that's the Greens. So despite everything my father taught me about the evilness of the Greens because their leader is gay and they support gay rights, I'm going to vote for them at the next election. I don't agree with everything they espouse, but at least they have integrity and stand for justice and the moderation of our Western excesses!

Fifteen days to go and it will all be over... Phew!