Australia Votes

17/05/2019

At the bottom of this piece I have linked many of my previous pieces about the lead up to the 2019 Federal election for people to look back on and consider. Looking back on the last few months, discussions I have had with a variety of people have been rather varied. Arguing ‘death taxes’ and the union movement with a One Nation sympathiser, the decriminalisation of currently illicit drugs with a strict no-drugs friend, the rights of workers with a swing voter turned Labor supporter, healthcare and women’s rights with a student midwife. These are but a few of the issues that Australia are taking to the voting booths tomorrow – and the top of the list is climate change.

One common misconception I have seen, especially in the last week, is that “all politicians are the same” and that no matter who we vote for “we’re all fucked anyway”. Well if you don’t vote, or cast your vote for morons like One Nation or UAP, then you have no right to complain if the Coalition win again.

Not all Labor politicians are the best people, and many I’m sure are in it for personal gain – but the party’s history and policies are closely connected with the union movement, and therefore with workers. Things aren’t going to magically get better under a Labor government overnight, nor even in three years trying to fix the Coalition’s overturned game board – but they have a plan.

So whatever your vote, at least ensure the preference, if your first vote doesn’t win, goes to Labor – the differences between them and the Coalition are massive. But the misconception appears to widen when it comes to the Greens, which is rather bizarre. For all of those touting the line that all politicians are in it for themselves, it is a disservice to include the Greens, or certain Independents and minor parties as well, in that list. The Greens do not accept corporate donations, meaning that they can focus on policies that benefit the people and not worry about getting the biggest paycheque from a bank.

In my electorate of Bowman, both the LNP and Labor have accepted money to further the Toondah Harbour development. I probably don’t know enough about it as I should, especially given it is in my own region, but I have seen enough to acknowledge that it would have dire environmental impacts. And it’s not that the LNP and Labor don’t know about this information – it’s money that does the talking. The Greens, for ethical reasons, not just environmental ones as their namesake suggests, are the only ones properly opposed to it.

I am sure Greens candidates, or other minor parties’ candidates and Independents, will have similar approaches to these kinds of policies. I’m the first to admit I am a cynic with little faith in humanity as a whole, but I don’t let that blind me from the potential we have for change if only we were to acknowledge it – and act upon it.

Below I will put a list of previous pieces that may be worth reading from this site if you’re interested, sorted by categories, that cover a range of topics over the past few months. There are more elsewhere, if you are keen to search for them.

General

Policy over Personality

Reject the Media Narrative – It’s Undermining Our Democracy

Too Much Complacency is Dangerous

The ABC

Most Likely Pick for ABC Chair Not on Shortlist

Economy

Budgets and Promises – Don’t Buy It

Environment

Don’t Know Who to Vote For?

Aristotle and Climate Change

Preferential Voting – Climate Election for Australia