What ever I have been involved in be it sport, the arts, politics, community or writing for The AIMN I have tried to adhere to my quote that suffices as the headline for this piece.
I have no doubt that I am influenced by my personal bias from time to time but in the main I believe that I am fair and considerate.
So, based on the principles of fairness and consideration I was a bit taken a back last week when Barrie Cassidy, on The Drum, gave the Government full-on praise for their handling of the Corona virus crisis.
I was not at all upset by the well-deserved praise but rather for the imbalance of it. Had he qualified it with an “it’s not before time mind you” or a “mind you it’s taken six years”, even a mention of “snapback” and I would have felt much happier.
If he had even mentioned that Morrison had said, “We have to get back to where we were before.” I would have declared a need for balance.
The truth of the matter is that after Morrison’s effort on the fire front he could not afford another cock up of the same magnitude.
After early mistakes with Centerlink caused by the obfuscation of the Minister for Government Services, Stuart Robert and some lessor things around the edges they gave it over to the experts who seemingly have and should take the praise – things under control.
When the Parliament met (as they should in a democracy like ours) and the Leader of the Opposition, Anthony Albanese said, “This is good legislation” in reference to the bill allowing for increases to Newstart etc. we saw for the first time two leaders wanting to meet in a bi-partisanship way for the betterment of the nation. The government should be praised. And It deserves the generosity of our praise.
But that the government refuses requests from people of sound lawful knowledge and judgement for the parliament to sit during this crisis deserves the sting of our criticism.
That it is doing so unassumingly to avoid criticism is manifestly wrong under any circumstances and continues their track record of almost seven years. There isn’t room to be considerate. They are just wrong.
They seem to, at long last, be listening to those reputable in the science of viruses. This also is deserving of our highest praise.
That they do not apply the same logic to the science of climate change is deserving of our most serious foreboding.
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If you have a point of view, feel free to express it. However, do so with civility. Then your point of view is laced with a degree of dignity.
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The government, when in opposition, was extremely critical of the Labor government during the GFC and after its criticism dried up almost went as far as denying its existence.
In fact, the Murdoch press followed suit despite the world heaping praise on the Australian government and its Treasurer Wayne Swan.
This new found bi-partisan approach has brought with it a community anticipation that things will change. Once having demonstrated that calm rational debate can work. The community has raised its expectations.
They are asking why it cannot work all the time. Well it can, and the exchange of intellectual debate and ideas needs to be re energised and it is incumbent on everyone to become involved.
The coronavirus has bought with it the hope of a renaissance. That a new understanding of whom we are and what we are here for might emerge from this dreadful time.
Would it be too much to hope that a new period of enlightenment might indoctrinate itself into the hearts and minds of our leaders who at present govern us from the perspective of self-interest only?
Have they woken to the fact that good open governance has its rewards? We have so much to learn from people we disagree with that it’s a wonder we don’t do it more often.
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My thought for the day
Will we ever grow intellectually to the point where we are able to discern, understand and act on those matters that seek the good within us?
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