How many others of you are as annoyed, frustrated and downright irritated as I am by the shenanigans once again going on in Canberra? Why can’t someone from the Liberal Party suggest to Tony Abbott, or rather Tony Ruddabbott, to stop muttering balefully about “battlelines” and take his gun and bullets somewhere else. Surely it’s time politicians matured and behaved as a team again rather than behaving like squabbling kids in the sandpit … although that’s actually doing kids an injustice, they’re better than that.
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The role of a politician appears to inevitably attract people – more particularly men I have to say – who consistently have to remove their shirts, thrust out their chests, beat loudly with clenched fists and yell “my pecs are bigger than yours”. It appears beyond their imagination to actually debate in an intelligent, respectful and thoughtful manner, which would allow them to listen to another side of an argument and hopefully end up somewhere in the middle, in a place that would actually benefit we Australians, not their egos.
Parliamentarians are supposed to be in Canberra considering ways to continually improve the lives of the Australian people, making decisions to help the majority of our people. We pay them to do this, remember. This should ultimately lead to better, more productive and improved lives for all.
Surely that is a reasonable aim, and certainly within the grasp of any party to provide such leadership to benefit us all. Instead, these present pollies, both Labor and Liberal, appear to spend their energies attempting to play the man rather than the ball, trying to bring the other man, the other party into disrepute but not helping anyone in the process.
One example of this ineptness came this week. Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt, after watching an ABC 4 Corners program on numerous problems in Aveo Retirement Villages, said: “It irritated me actually, to be quite truthful.” Aveo is accused of deceiving its vulnerable residents with highly complex contracts and agreements. Viewers were shown a number of examples of these deceits. “It irritated me” ... I ask you! Have you ever heard a more pathetic response to the problems of the aged in retirement villages run by Aveo, problems that have been endemic in the system for years? Ten years ago there were 10 recommendations to improve the legal and financial security of residents under the retirement banner. Not one has been implemented. These retirees were the backbone of Australia pre and post-war. They were known as “the builders”. They should be given every protection and care for their contribution to our prosperous Australia today.
This is yet another example of the inertia emerging from Canberra today. Past governments would have leapt on this disgraceful report. Malcolm Turnbull is too busy shoring up his defences and watching his back as Abbott attempts to derail him with increasing vehemence. Abbott, as usual, is fighting for power’s sake. None of this behaviour will deliver the policies people were hoping for after the last election.
It reflects, again, the disinterest this parliament has in the people of Australia. Instead of personalities, why are we not focusing on climate change policies, energy resources, legalising same-sex marriage, public housing opportunities, transport infrastructure? These are only some of any number of important issues. Get serious, you politicians. Do the job we voted you in to do and stop playing childish games.
ANNIE YOUNG
