Tribal loyalties run deep - my mother cannot even conceive of the possibility of voting Liberal, whereas I have often done so! (Non-Australians please note: in Australian political terms, to a first approximation "Liberal" doesn't mean liberal, but conservative. I am no liberal, but I am a conservative.) Ideology aside, given the maladministration evident in both the State and Commonwealth Labor governments, to vote the opposite way just to register a protest vote would seem reasonable.
Mum has (I say this in charity) an unreasoning dislike of the Federal Opposition Leader in particular. Is this a gender issue, whereby men prefer Tony, and women prefer Julia? Jokes aside, after an exchange about Abbott, she has bet me $100 that he ("that dreadful man") will never be Prime Minister – to which I replied, "I will collect the money on election day" (though technically he will need to be sworn in first, of course).
Kate, would you care to participate in this little wager?
"I will collect the money on election day"
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. The moment the 'media' told us that Abbott was 'unelectable' I knew that he was on track to becoming PM. I sometimes think that the notion of Abbott as unpopular, etc., is in reality a sort of irrational, impulsive defence mechanism of the Left--a way of convincing themselves that all will be 'OK' and that no conservative will get into the Lodge.
While I pretty much share your mothers perspective, I'm pretty much resigned to the prospect of Abbott PM.
ReplyDeleteAlthough to describe his party at the moment as 'conservative' is in my view a considerable stretch given his interesting spend-lots-of money policies on maternity leave, climate change and more.
And on the prospect of a protest vote, I just wish he'd be a bit more consistent in his policies, a bit more positive in his vision and less obviously opportunistic and power hungry, and be seen a bit less often in lycra and less...
Aw, Kate, you old lefty! ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit rich to warn of him being spendthrift when the current Government has spent money like water on all manner of wasteful extravagances: pink batts, BER school buildings, handouts of money direct to citizens (I spent mine in NZ), the NBN, KRudd flying round the earth so as to keep out of his successor's way, and Craig Thomson's out of pocket expenses (sorry, the Party paid for those)... I could go on but fair shake of the saucebottle, it's a bit rich accusing Abbott of fiscal ineptitude on the very day he's been speechifying about the need to trim spending and wastage.
Dear Tony: he advised a certain would-be seminarian, back when he was one himself, to join the diocesan rather than religious ranks - on the grounds that he'd be made a bishop quicker that way. His advice made the inquirer join an Order in flight from such a fate, but it availed nought in the end...