Politics

Posted at 11:30 AM, Tuesday, February 24, 2009

A few choice quotes from recent days: "[Opposition spokesman on Climate Change] Andrew Robb says the government's climate change policy is deeply flawed, it will damage business, and he also makes the point there's deep splits in the cabinet over the policy, and that your policy is a dog. What's your reaction to this?" --ABC Radio National host Fran Kelly interviewing Climate Change Minister Penny Wong

"I must admit that I did want to see the member for Warringah (Tony Abbott) making a comeback. In a choice between macho and mincing, I would have gone for macho myself. And obviously the Leader of the Opposition (Malcolm Turnbull), faced with the choice of a doberman or poodle, has gone for the poodle." --Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, commenting on Malcolm Turnbull's decision to appoint MP Christopher Pyne over Toby Abbott for a leadership role.

Sometimes, politics in Australia is just so gosh darn fun. They have this great institution called "question time" in parliament, which is when parliamentarians get to stand at the microphone and hurl insults at each other. Julia Gillard seems to be particularly gifted in this regard. Peter Costello is a powerhouse Liberal politician who seems to toy constantly with the idea of taking on more of a leadership role. Many believe former prime minister Paul Keating hit the nail on the head when he commented, "He's all tip and no iceberg." Upon the publication of his memoirs, Ms. Gillard remarked to parliament: "We await this great entry into the literary world - a book with spine from a politician without one. Mr Speaker, you would be aware that sometimes there are movies that fail so badly they go straight to DVD - well I'm betting this one goes straight to paperback. Won't be a very hard spine when that one's published."

It's quite a cultural shift after the polite culture of the United States Congress, where everyone is friends--i.e., "my friend the senator from Washington" and "my friend the representative from Pennsylvania." Ultimately, party politics in the United States are a lot more brutal, even if everyone is a lot nicer to each other in public. Maybe they need the group therapy of Question Time to get out their aggressions. My favourite part of question time is when the house speaker growlss the sacred word "Order!" as if it's actually going to happen.

For sure the politicians display an awareness that Question Time can be a less-than-edifying experience. In the week following the horrendous bushfires in Victoria, all parties in parliament agreed to suspend Question Time and read statements of condolences instead. Certainly the sight of grown men and women saying nasty things about each other would have done little to comfort the hundreds of people who had lost loved ones and the thousands who had lost their homes. Over two weeks have passed now, and the gloves have come back off.

These last several weeks have been a particularly enjoyable time for political fireworks. The opposition Liberal party seems to be in the process of imploding. The latest stoush (to show off my knowledge of Australian slang) came when conservative Liberal MP Cory Bernardi was removed from his prominent leadership position after it came to light that he had dissed his more politically liberal colleague Christopher Pyne in a blog sent to supporters. He accused Pyne of political opportunism and claimed that Pyne had stated that the only reason he'd run as a Liberal politician was because the district he represented was unlikely ever to elect a Labour candidate. Opportunistic politicians?! Perish the thought! Locally, we are quite pleased with MP Pyne's rise through the ranks. The district he represents includes Massada College, and I've gotten to meet him on several public occasions. He even called me to apologise for missing my induction ceremony two years ago. Nice guys should go far.

The other local politician who's seen his name in lights recently is Nick Xenephon. Mr. Xenephon is not a member of parliament; he is a senator. I didn't even know that Australia had a senate until I moved here. Currently, parliament is dominated by the Labor party, and it tends to rubber stamp all legislation that the Labor prime minister presents. Then the legislation moves to the Senate for final approval and often gets voted down. The Liberal and National party coalition in the Senate holds a majority of the seats, but the Labour party has the ability to bypass them by convincing senators from other parties to support their legislation. Like in the Israeli Knesset, this can mean that small parties end up with a big voice. Mr. Xenephon is not even affiliated with a party, but it was his one vote which offered an opportunity for PM Kevin Rudd to pass his stimulus package last week. He quickly became the most powerful man in Australia and a local hero in his home state of South Australia. Senator Xenephon did ultimately vote in favour of the bill. But his yes vote came only after he had exacted commitments from the federal government to deliver desperately-needed funds to shore up the Murray River, which is rapidly dying in this ongoing drought.

And that's all for your tutorial on Australian politics for this week.