By Bruce Wolpe

In this epochal year in America of political upheaval, the only thing we should not be shocked about is that there are huge shocks to the country. There will be more. Americans and everyone invested in that country’s future need to steel themselves for the events that will unfold.

Many acute observers have already drawn parallels with the last presidential election year of seismic eruptions: 1968. An unpopular Democratic president, Lyndon Johnson, under siege from an immensely tragic war with no end in sight and no path to victory in November, announced he was leaving the field. His vice president, Hubert Humphrey, took up the party’s mantle, only to be challenged by Robert F. Kennedy, brother of the president slain five years previously.

The country was engulfed in the civil rights and anti-war movements. On April 4, Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in Memphis. On June 5, Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles. The country, divided in despair, turned to former vice president Richard Nixon, who won the election. Nixon adopted the message on a sign carried by a young girl at a Nixon rally that read, “Bring us together again.”

The horrific events of 1968 inflicted immense damage on America’s political culture. It took years to recover. America would remain divided throughout the Nixon presidency, culminating in his resignation over the worst presidential scandal to that point in history, Watergate. Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976 with the slogan: “I’ll Never Lie To You”. Carter said he wanted “a government as good as its people.”

Joe Biden’s stepping aside was the obverse of Lyndon Johnson’s fateful decision. Unlike the Democrats of 1968, the party gathered immediately behind Kamala Harris and is today united on par with the wave of enthusiasm and hope that carried Barack Obama to his landslide win in 2008.

Indeed, throughout Obama’s presidency, many had fears that it was only a matter of time before the first black president would find an assassin’s crosshairs. It never came to be. But the nightmare is resurrected by the presence on the political stage of Kamala Harris, who was immediately the victim of the ugliest barbs about her racial identity along with her gender.

The ghosts of 1968 live. In the back of the minds of many of us with lived experience of these events, it was not a surprise when Trump was attacked and came within a centimetre of death at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The only shock was the news, not the fact that bullets had been fired.

These fears gnaw at us. They are exacerbated by the huge divisiveness across the county. Trump’s army of supporters is welded onto him. He has not lost any votes to Harris. The closeness of the race is due to her recapturing millions who voted for Biden in 2020 but who were unenthusiastic about his campaign this year.

Whether Trump is leading a mass movement or cult, most of his supporters have complete buy-in to his dark conspiracy theories. After he was shot, Trump’s mood at first became more reflective, taking into account the enormity of the mortal threat. He reflected on God and his personal mission. Trump spoke movingly of unity at the Republican convention right after the shooting. But in subsequent days, as he absorbed the failure of the Secret Service to protect him, there emerged a view that the agency’s inexcusable lapse might have been part of a conspiracy from within the “deep state” to take Trump down.

The assassination attempt was an “inside job,” Trump has said. During last week’s debate with Harris, Trump said, referring to his opponents, “I probably took a bullet to the head because of the things that they say about me.”

Sunday’s near attack in Florida, even though it was thwarted, will raise tensions that the threat is ongoing and will further congeal, just as occurred after the first attack in Pennsylvania, his personal support. Trump’s margin of approval over Biden went up after that attack.

Given the early bump in the polls Harris received after their debate, this means, for the immediate future, that this presidential race will remain tighter than ever. Which means in turn that the levels of anxiety, fear, divisiveness and angst will continue and intensify until election day in November.

There is no immediate antidote to salve the wounds in the country’s political culture. The best leadership right now is condemning any and all political violence. But that pales, in emotional terms, to the desire of each side to beat the other, with each side believing that only if they win can the country be set on the right course.

Trump’s are the politics of grievance. They are very hard to reconcile with the call from Harris, with her politics of hope and joy, to turn the page. This was tough enough before the shootings started. America today is stalked by near tragedy, if not tragedy itself.

This article was originally published in The Sydney Morning Herald and has been republished with permission from the author.

Public Health Association of Australia / Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health Media Release

A new study published today shows that less than 2% of total Government health spending in Australia goes towards public health efforts like infectious and chronic disease protection, prevention and health promotion. The research also uncovered a lack of transparency in exactly how much and where public health money is spent.

Leading public health experts says the research demonstrates the need for a new Government model to ensure that public health spending has maximum impact and is visible.

Published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, the study is the first to analyse and map public health funding from both Federal and State/Territory Governments. It was funded by The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, a research, policy and practice collaboration and Centre of the Sax Institute.

The study reports that in 2019-20, 1.8% of overall health spending (or $140 per person) was allocated to public health initiatives, though the amount varies among states and territories. For example, the Northern Territory spent $527 per person on public health, while Victoria spent $110.

Lead author, Emeritus Professor Alan Shiell from La Trobe University says that “the effectiveness of public health funding isn’t just determined by how much funding is given, but also how it is allocated.

“Our research uncovered a complex and piece-meal funding system. While delegating funding decisions to the states and territories who understand local need is a strength of our current model, it leaves the public in the dark about exactly where the money is going and exactly how much is being spent on public health.

“It also makes it very hard for us to assess what difference public health spending is making.”

Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, CEO, Public Health Association of Australia says that as well as greater transparency, the study demonstrates the need for a new Government funding model for prevention to ensure that the health budget is effectively spent.

“After a clear “spike” in public health spending due to the pandemic, investment in this area looks to have returned to pre COVID levels.

“We have a sophisticated system to determine the best investment in medicines – the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). We need a similar system to ensure that proven, cost-effective public health programs receive consistent funding.

“This would help ensure more consistent and effective health spending to help everyone in Australia live healthier lives.

“The Australian Centre for Disease Control could play an active role in developing this proposed funding model. Prime Minister Albanese is on the record as saying prevention will be one a focus of the Centre,” Prof Slevin added.

Over the last 10 years, the Prevention Centre have strengthened the evidence base for where to target investment in prevention action. Further investment in proven strategies will improve chronic disease outcomes nationally.

Head of The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre Nadia Mastersson says, “this research should encourage discussion on how public health funding mechanisms in Australia can be improved to ultimately keep more Australians healthy and well.”

Palliative Care Australia Media Release

News of greater support for older Australians to be cared for at home recognises the wishes of older Australians and the complexity of care at the end of life.

The End-of-Life Pathway, announced by Aged Care Minister, Anika Wells, will provide up to $25,000 in additional aged care support at home during the final three months of life, under the Support at Home Program.

“This is a generous entitlement and responds to the advocacy of PCA and our members,” says Professor Meera Agar, PCA Chair.

“The new pathway recognises that people who are closer to the end of their life have greater needs and require specific investment to allow them to stay at home, it also recognises that 90% of Australians say they want to be cared for at home, with appropriate supports.

“We look forward to the detail of the policy being shared and contributing to the roll out and implementation of the new pathway to make sure it works for people, families, and the various health systems involved.”

Key aspects of the announcement requiring more detail include:

• Tying the funding to a three-month prognosis could be problematic because some older people living at home with a palliative condition need additional care well before that time frame.
• The application and assessment process needs be simple, provide maximum flexibility, and enable services to be delivered immediately.
• How the new entitlements will be accessed by people in rural and regional areas, where challenges persist in finding and retaining qualified staff across health and aged care.

The introduction of the Government’s new aged care legislation to parliament is also positive progress. The new legislation helps make palliative care “core business” for aged care providers, in line with the recommendations of Aged Care Royal Commission.

PCA and our members hope that once the Aged Care Act is in place the community will see further improvements in access to palliative care in all aged care settings.

“If the home care or residential aged care systems can’t respond then inevitability older Australians who are dying end up in hospital needlessly and against their end of life wishes,” Prof Agar says.

“Some providers and communities are better placed than others to access palliative care. We need to reduce that variability so that whoever you are and wherever you live, you can access quality of life at the end of life.

“Another issue we’ll keep raising with government are the needs of people under 65 who require 24/7 care within a health facility.

“The new Aged Care Act will confirm that aged care is only for older people. That is fine as long as people under 65 who have similar needs can get that help through other channels – something that is yet to be worked out.

“We have found the Government to be constructive partners in all the related health and care reforms, and PCA will continue to play an active role in future consultation and parliamentary processes,” Prof Agar says.

Using super for a housing deposit would make homes more expensive, hinder the home ownership aspirations of young Australians, reduce retirement incomes, and lead to a significant long-term cost to the Budget, a Corinna Economic Advisory report authored by Saul Eslake has found.

In an independent report, commissioned by the Super Members Council, Mr Eslake charts how a long list of demand-side Australian housing policies over several decades have simply made homes more expensive.

He warns super for a house would be the worst of all.

“We have 60 years of history, which unambiguously tells us, anything that allows Australians to pay more for housing than they otherwise could leads to more expensive housing and not more homeowners,” he said.

“Of all the demand-fuelling housing policies, the Coalition’s super for housing policy would be the biggest – it can only lead to higher prices.”

“If super for house was introduced, it would be one of the worst public policy decisions in the last six decades.”

Mr Eslake said the decline in home ownership rates could undermine a key assumption in Australia’s retirement system – that most retirees will own their own home – and noted the need to expand housing supply.

However, the Coalition’s ‘Super Home Buyer Scheme’ under which people would be allowed to withdraw up to 40% of their superannuation savings up to a maximum of $50,000, would likely hinder home ownership aspirations for younger Australians.

The Corinna Economic Advisory report points to 17 years of evidence from a similar New Zealand scheme to back its findings. New Zealand’s KiwiSaver allows for withdrawal for home deposits, but since its introduction home ownership rates have declined by 2.1 per cent overall and by 5.7 per cent for people in their early 30s.

“Advice given by New Zealand’s Treasury said the benefit of KiwiSaver would go to sellers in a supply-constrained market, and that’s exactly what has occurred. There are fewer homeowners since the scheme’s introduction,” Mr Eslake said.

“In New Zealand, house price spikes coincide with periods in which the volumes of withdrawals from KiwiSaver accounts have rapidly risen.”

The need to carry additional cash has also harmed returns for KiwiSaver members, meaning it has returned less than the Australian MySuper members for the last 10 years. This difference in investment returns could mean $130,000 less at retirement.

Analysis of super balances also shows the scheme would heavily favour older and wealthier non-homeowners.

• The median non-home-owning couple both aged between 35 and 44 would be able to add almost $38,500 to their deposit, which with borrowing could allow them to spend $192,500 more
• The median couple aged between 45 and 65, if they had not previously bought a home, could spend $400,000 more
• Compared to the median couple aged between 25-34, this archetypical home buying age could only withdraw $18,000 – leading to a $90,000 higher purchase price.

In fact, 78% of single Australians aged between 25-34 could not withdraw more than $20,000 under the scheme.

“It would do little for the people who are most in need of assistance in order to become homeowners and would do most for those who need it least,” Mr Eslake said.

“And depending on the number of homeowners who accessed the scheme, the impact on prices could be far greater than first homeowner grants.”

The scheme would also lead to those who used the scheme retiring with less super and having to be more reliant on the taxpayer-funded age pension.

Mr Eslake added one solution will not solve Australia’s housing crisis – instead we must focus on boosting the supply of housing – and, in particular, ‘affordable’ housing.

“Super for housing would just make the affordability crisis worse.”

Monash University Media Alert

The Federal Government has just introduced a new bill designed to combat disinformation and misinformation on the Internet, which is a positive step toward addressing content that can cause serious harm or lead to violence, such as messaging from conspiracy theorists and fringe groups.

However, in most Australian states false or misleading information in political advertising will still be permissible. False information can alter elections, affect voting participation, silence minorities, and polarise the electorate.

South Australia has had truth in political advertising laws for 39 years and the Australian Capital Territory recently introduced them.

Associate Professor Yee-Fui Ng, Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Justice Innovation at Monash University has partnered with The Susan McKinnon Foundation to examine the effect, operation and administration of ‘truth in political advertising’ laws. The interim Truth in Political Advertising Laws: Operation and Effectiveness report (Interim Report) is based on 21 interviews with current and former premiers, ministers, MPs, electoral commissioners, political party directors/secretaries and civil society groups across South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.

Associate Professor Ng says:

“The OECD has noted the ‘rapid and global spread of mis- and disinformation’, which ‘presents a fundamental risk to the free and fact-based exchange of information underpinning democratic debate’.

“False information can alter elections, affect voting participation, silence minorities, and polarise the electorate.

“Truth in political advertising laws have successfully operated in South Australia for 39 years and have the support of the politicians, party officials and electoral commissioners. It is time to consider introducing these laws more broadly across the federation.”

Media Release

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) has today released its vision for Queensland under the next government, in the lead-up to the state election.

To grow and capitalise on the State’s progress across renewable, digital and manufacturing innovations, ATSE recommends five actions to unlock more economic and social benefits. They are: invest in digital skills in the regions; implement policies which incentivise efficient energy solutions; develop a state-wide sustainable water management plan; bolster adoption of emerging technologies; and develop an integrated population and land use plan.

Federal and State investments in Queensland industry like the $1 billion Solar SunShot, $940 million PsiQuantum start-up investment and significant support for critical minerals and sustainable fuels, have aimed to catalyse new lucrative industries in Queensland. These investments need to be underpinned and sustained by a robust and skilled Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce, built through targeted interventions at all levels of education and careers.

STEM skills needs are ballooning with around 450,000 new STEM-qualified occupations created nationally in the last 10 years. Support is critically needed to improve digital literacy and STEM education, particularly in regional and remote areas where access to digital technologies is more limited. Remote areas score 6 points lower on average than major cities (2023 Digital Inclusion Index).

ATSE encourages all candidates to engage with Queensland’s science and technology community to build a more prosperous and resilient Queensland.

Kylie Walker, CEO of ATSE, said the Queensland Government only invests 0.07% of its Gross State Product on developing new innovations – to meet Queensland’s ambitions, this needs to change.

“Innovation and technology are the foundations for economic growth and prosperity. We call on all candidates in the Queensland election to engage with the innovation sector to build a more prosperous future for all Queenslanders and lock in the gains the state has made in developing pioneering new industries.”

ATSE’s Queensland Division Chair Dr Sue Keay, representing over 150 of Queensland’s leading engineers and technologists, said, “Queensland has the ability to lead the nation as Australia’s innovation state, but we must invest in STEMM education and industries.”

“Improving investment in digital literacy and supporting the early adoption of new technologies will place Queensland at the front of the pack and build a stronger, more inclusive economy.”

Oodgeroo a Seat to Watch for the Next 4–8 years

By Callen Sorensen Karklis

Almost a year ago I wrote an article about how bayside state areas like Oodgeroo and the federal seat of Bowman, which covers the Redlands City area and could flip towards 3^rd options like the Teals or Greens. A lot can happen in the space of a year, yet alone 24 hours in politics! Since that article a TEAL in fact did become Mayor of Redlands in Jos Mitchell, winning a landslide victory against maverick controversial former LNP Bowman MP Andrew Laming on 67% – only securing 33% of the vote from preferences from his conservative aligned running mate Cindy Corrie. This was after I wrote that a TEAL could one day flip votes in Bowman or Oodgeroo. And Labor has begun tanking in the polls.

I still would argue that a third option from the major parties could still do well in seats like Oodgeroo or Bowman one day, long term. There is potential here. Three out of four local representatives are TEAL-like independents on the local Redland City Council. But short term the political reality is that it will be a tough run for a third wave candidate to knock off a candidate from the LNP who has held the seat since 2009, but it’s possible. But the odds are tough are present, though we’ll fight hard on the issues. It was a strong Labor seat for 20 years prior to his when Darryl Briskey (1989-2006) and Phil Weightman (2006–2009) were the MPs. It will be a gradual change to Oodgeroo, which will be a lot of hard work over the long term. It won’t change in the short term due to several factors: Infighting in the ALP has caught up with sitting Cr Tracey Huges who sided against Labor, joining with the LNP voting bloc against Mayor Mitchell on the controversial Birkdale White Water issue.

The sad reality is the ALP will sandbag seats they think they can retain into likely Opposition as polls suggest the LNP winning government on almost 60%. The LNP are likely to retain Oodgeroo, but this might not always be the case. Oodgeroo could one day become a seat that decides the fate of a balance of power in a future hung parliament. Both Teals and Greens have polled better here gradually. The Brisbane bayside always gets written off but its electoral seats and voters just may well decide the fate of a future Queensland’s state election. Not just in Oodgeroo but all bayside seats as I would argue there is no such thing as a safe seat anymore for any major party!

Amanda Stoker (LNP), Irene Henley (ALP), and myself (Greens) core flutes [above] in Cleveland at a Middle Street sign site, QLD

The Toondah issue has put a lot of people off from voting Labor; if people vote for the Greens, we will ensure to revoke the PDA [Priority Development Application]. We support companies like Sealink proposing to build a simple port upgrade for the ferry and barge services without high rise units in the Ramsar wetlands. Federal Labor deserves some credit under Tanya Plibersek for ruling against the Walker Corporation proposal as Environment Minister to build 3600 units of 10 story buildings in the wetlands.

Some island locals are also upset about the lack of transparency on the Whale Center issue at Pt Lookout on North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah). Many are also anxious of a post sandmining economy reliant on just eco–tourism after the Pandemic saw numbers reduced for a short time. There is also anxiety over the future of Treaty and Truth Telling in the aftermath of the voice referendum and closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples as the LNP have walked away from Treaty talks. Island residents are concerned about water levels getting lower on the island as well as a lack of transparency on how Native Title is handled. But we can find this balance without the racist dog whistle baiting the LNP always lay bare!

And then there’s Amanda Stoker, a former QLD Senator (2018-2022) and Morrison Assistant Minister (2020-2022) who is one of the most right-wing conservatives to contest the area in living memory for the seat of Oodgeroo, making a political comeback. Stoker is contesting the seat after long term conservative Mark Robinson announced his retirement with only a short stint as Deputy Speaker during the Newman era (2012-2015).

Stoker has a track record of the following controversial policies:

• Opposing tobacco plain packaging; supporting the tobacco industry
• Supports the repeal of section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act
• Supports the nuclear energy industry in Australia
• Blames unions for the casualization of workplaces
• Opposes the minimum wage and penalty rates
• Opposes LGBTIQ rights
• Opposes Abortions
• Opposes voluntary euthanasia.

If Stoker gets in there is a fair chance she’ll become a senior state government minister or even a potential Attorney–General given she was the Assistant Attorney-General in the Morrison Government and her high profile on Sky News. But her controversial conservative right-wing policy stances may come to haunt her long term as the electorate wants moderate approaches. Especially as the aging demographic is replaced by younger generations reaching voting age and younger families moving into the area.

The Oodgeroo and Bowman areas have always had MPs regardless of their party colors who have been flexible enough to delegate sensitive constituent matters. If Stoker takes on a ministerial role this could isolate some in the community, especially if she’s in a government that slashes and cuts essential services (in the event Crisafulli hasn’t learnt from the Newman era (2012-2015) which became a deeply unpopular government after just one term in power.

If Stoker and Crisafulli don’t learn, and Labor don’t become more organized around their candidates a third option may become an inevitable choice in 2028 and 2032 either with the Greens or another candidate like Claire Richardson in the 2020 race. The local area hasn’t had a senior MP in a senior role since both Paul Clauson and John Goleby held roles in Joh Bjelke–Petersen’s National government as Redlands MPs during the 1980s and Con Sciacca in Bowman as in the Hawke/Keating Labor government in the 1980s–1990s. Locals are pretty used to having easy access to their MP and having that flexibility. An MP with ministerial gatekeepers might put many in the community offside.

There are also the issues of the current election:

• Cost of living crisis
• Housing and rental crisis
• The environment
• Public Transport
• Olympics 2032
• Crime and Youth Justice
• Health

Despite some of the good Labor is doing to mitigate the cost-of-living crisis; with 50 cent fares on public transport, the cheaper car registration, or energy bill supplements. It might not be enough to turn the tide as the LNP are polling well enough to win back the Treasury benches. The QLD Greens have a good chance to win back seats like McConnell Greenslopes, and Cooper, but the ALP is hemorrhaging in regional areas and the outer suburbs to the LNP. There is also a possibility of the KAP and PHON also doing well in regionally QLD as well. Where the LNP is capitalizing on the economy being weak under Labor. As the saying goes “It’s the economy stupid!”.

There is a good chance that Labor could also lose the seats of Redlands, Capalaba, and even Lytton if it’s not careful. Lytton lost its local Labor Cr in Sara Whitmee during the 2024 Brisbane City Council election. Labor lost a seat it held for 72 years on a 12.5% swing with Alex Givney (LNP) winning there giving an extra LNP seat to the Schrinner LNP BCC led administration. And Teal Independent Adelia Berridge lost her seat to an LNP-aligned candidate in 2024’s local council races where Labor has failed to win back the once strong area of Division 7 which Murray Elliott held for 23 years since losing it to the LNP since 2020.

The safe seat of Capalaba has been Labor for over 40 years except for Steve Davies (LNP) during the Newman era including Lytton during both the Newman and Joh eras, and when Bill Lamond (Country/National) secured the seat in 1974 for a term until 1977 and Neil Symes in the Newman era. Despite it being solidly Labor for 74 years, the working class vote usually swings towards populists that usually resonate with them even if it works against their own self-interest. Especially when they believe they’re not being listened to either! Case in point, Trumpism in the United States and Brexit in the UK. In Redlands it’s a bellwether seat and traditionally swings towards whatever party wins government on a strong swing apart from several instances of Labor in minority government during the early Beattie and Palaszczuk eras. The area that covers Redlands has been National/LNP for 29 years since 1969 and held by Labor for 26 years.

Me campaigning for FREE car parking at Redlands Hospital in September 2023

What’s clear is that voters locally are concerned about the mishandling of the Olympics in 2032 during a cost-of-living crisis. Similar to the Gabba and Raymond Park issues voters are concerned about the Birkdale White Water rafting facility proposed by the LNP bloc in Redland City Council on sensitive heritage listed land. Voters in my area are also concerned about having to pay for fees for car parking for patients and staff at Redlands Hospital causing congestion (which was originally FREE) as well as slow response times for ambulances. Voters are extremely concerned about the future direction of QLD Health no matter which party wins the QLD state election!

LNP Oodgeroo and Capalaba candidate core flutes for Stoker and Fields at Alexandra Hills

Youth Crime?

Another issue unfortunately that the LNP is capitalizing on is the youth crime and justice issue. The LNP are running strong on a policy for adult time for adult crimes similar to how the new NT CLP Finocchario government reducing the criminal age to 10 (which, unsurprisingly, has civil liberty, human rights, youth groups, and experts concerned). As most evidence indicates, the best way to reduce youth crime is prevention through programs investing in sports, arts, and music programs that interest young people and deal with the causes and not the symptoms of the issue. The LNP are running Paul Field as the LNP Capalaba candidate who lost his family to a hit and run incident from a repeat youth offender, where Don Brown MP said that the media was handling the issue as a “media beat up”. Was Don Brown insensitive on this topic? Or does he have a point? Statistical evidence points to youth crime not being as unusual as to what is has always been in recent decades, the issue is its more publicized in the media via the 24/7 news cycle and social media. The LNP does also run the risk of running a candidate passionate about a singular issue with little scope for wide issues that may affect Capalaba beyond the state election. If Field wins, it would be difficult to sustain electorally given Labor’s history here but its not impossible!

My Professional Advice to all Pollies

IF the LNP do win don’t get too comfortable; 24 hours is a long time and anything can change quickly! Despite Campbell Newman’s huge victory in 2012 I bet he didn’t think he’d only be there for one term with Labor being in power for nine years. Don’t take voters for mugs! After two election campaigns as a candidate now since 2020 and assisting on countless elections on all tiers since 2012 I’ve seen a thing or two. Voters want to be heard; they’re sick of people self-serving and not helping them with the issues that matter most to them! LESS RORTS MORE ACTION! Find long-term solutions to complex problems without just finding it as a cheap way to win votes in the short-term! There is no such thing as seats anymore!

Mathematically there are stats that back up the likelihood of better chances for major parties still but don’t take voters for granted; you can still lose your seat over time, even if you hold a “safe seat”. 3^rd party options are on the rise! Accept loss and move on! Learn from it! It’s time for less sledging and more robust policy discussions. People hate how personal it has become; it makes most people in politics look like tools and wankers!

We need to be more genuinely honest and spin less or no disinformation. Social media has really made politics become the wild west which could harm the mental health of all of those involved regardless of their political beliefs or affiliations. As my Latvian pop always used to say: NO BULLSHIT! Or voters will punish you for it! In a 24/7 media cycle and more access to information it’s easier for voters to judge our pollies nowadays so be on notice at all times! You serve the public, not the opposite! Be open-minded and less partisan, hold your convictions but willing to be pragmatic. This is arguably why the public responded so well to former leaders like John Howard and Bob Hawke’s approaches to government – love them or hate them. And people like Don Chipp and Bob Brown cut through in the former Democrats “Keeping the Bastards Honest!” and the Greens carrying on the mantle as the third electoral force. In some ways Climate 200 advocating a similar mantra, but time will see if they all maintain this success and messaging. One thing is true though; despite your politics everybody wants more honest pollies and a system that works to provide for them a better tomorrow and planet.