So I didn’t quite expect so much of a response to my comments about who makes decisions in this country. But I’d like to pose a few questions:
- How easy is it for women to get into politics? I attended a conference a few days ago that told me two things, firstly it is damn hard to get in and play the boys club rules, and second, most of the successful women in politics are successful because they deny their own gender, and play by mens rules. Only one woman at the whole conference mentioned that although there are more women than ever in Aussie politics, that womens issues are completely off the political agenda. We still have idiots like Tony Abbot trying to make comments about a womans right to abortion as a choice, and trying to encourage young people to abstain from sex rather than educating them for safe sex. We are heading backwards!
- Anthony, putting all the factors together you get a small percentage of the populations demography. I don’t think it is an unreasonable suggestion that we get a broader spread of the demography into decision making for policies that affect all of us.
- I agree with Leon that not enough young people get into politics. As someone who only started getting into politics in the last 4 years, I can relate to that. I think if current events, and the beginning of our democracy were more explored at school, rather than the staleness of “here is the senate”, and “here is the house of reps” then more people would get into politics at a younger age. It was very interesting and stimulating for me to learn about some of the policies this country was based on, and both saddening and exciting to see how we have or haven’t changed. I also believe it is probably a good tactic for the government to not better this education, because kids who know nothing, vote the way their parents do (typically) thus maintaining the status quo. A fairly clever tactic.
- In Brazil I had a bit of an epiphany. I saw politicians who talk from the pulpit and then go out to beers with the people. I saw politics and people mixing. In Australia the average person and their life is so far removed from politics that how are we ever going to hope for decent reflective politics that are relevant to the average person? I like the idea of people entering politics later in life, after they’ve actually _worked_ in a real job for a few years. A country run by lawyers and career politicians bodes badly for anyone! I get continually frustrated by the team sports I see in politics, and the people more interested in clever quips that outperform the other party rather than solving problems. Perhaps I should have added “lawyers/career politicans to my definition of the “decision makers” in this country.
I guess I’d like to see some changes, not sure what yet, but a parliament made up of people that understand the average Aussie, and who reflect a little better the diversity found in this country would be a good start.