Where is the Eureka Stockade moment?
By Melissa A. Frost
It’s Sunday afternoon. A week since the Federal election. The mood is sombre and the online political group I administer on Facebook is quiet.
I sit here on my balcony in the fading afternoon light reading the latest articles. Searching for a glimpse of what the hell is happening. Has Turnbull won another term with a minority?
Did Bill just concede via a SBS Facebook feed? I scroll back to the group. No. No real anger.
I look out over suburban Gold Coast. Where is the fire in the belly of Aussies? There isn’t any. Just the quiet Sunday afternoon slumber of Aussies desperately grabbing a window of peace and quiet. There is a lady on her balcony reading the paper. A young couple walking their dog. My neighbour is hanging out his weekly washing. Don’t they realise that this country is about to fall into the hands of the wrecking ball that is the Liberal National Party? Again? Of course they do. I know they do.
This scene on a Sunday afternoon of complacency is parallel to the scene I read online. One of complacency. These scenes of complacency reflect the discussions I had with colleagues on election day. My boomer colleague “didn’t care”. Our millennial team member voted “for the Liberals because they look after nurses, didn’t you know?”. Another boomer who didn’t want my update of election day proceedings said “what’s the point?”. “What the hell?” I thought. What has happened to Aussies? I looked at my colleagues as they dragged themselves around the ward. They are buggered. Tired. Weary. Weary of it all. The future of Australia is one thing but their very lives is another thing entirely.
I see this on the Facebook group as well. This weariness. Aussies work harder, have more bills to accommodate, have more red-tape to deal with and are struggling to keep that roof over their heads. So after putting the kids into bed and clearing the kitchen of dinner, most Aussies fall on their sofas by 9pm eagerly flipping through the channels in search of light entertainment, sipping on that wine and settling on Googlebox. To rally their energy to demand a better way of living is simply not on their agenda. They are simply happy to pay the rent this fortnight and keep that boss from reducing their hours.
So how far do Aussies have to be pushed from their Sunday afternoon slumber? History shows us not far. Where is the electorate’s Eureka Stockade moment? And a Eureka Stockade moment is what is needed to jolt Aussies out of their slumber.
Perhaps this second term of Malcolm Abbott’s will be that moment.
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Return to home pageWell said, Melissa.
Worse case scenario is they don’t think it will make any difference what they say or do.
Best case scenario is they will be pricked at various levels of seriousness by the concealed austerity measures Malcolm Muck is going to deliver upon their heads and then enough of them will emerge from their stupid slumber.
Unfortunately, it will take this second term for them to wake up.
It would do the electorate well to pay attention and follow any obstructive action that we support, from the ALP with street protests and petitions to send a clear message that we stand with the party, though not perfect, for fairness and a future vision beyond massive profits for the very wealthy!
It’s all about one rich man’s dream; now he’s not only rich but he’s also the country’s leader.
The lot of the ordinary Australians does not enter into his way of thinking. That does not prevent him of pleading that we all now should work together to ENSURE he’ll keep his position.
( he loves the word ‘ensure’…)
Looking on comments in different sites where writers and readers are political educated I have to think that it is hard for them to accepting that the bigots, racists, draconian and right extremists are the choice by the electorate for the reasons bellow.
Among these voters (the majority) are the ones that are afraid to change because their financial commitments on home loans , personal loans and other obligations to satisfying their consumerism habits have cost them their freedom.
It is that “life” mortgage that have them made what appears to be complacent, the impression the it is part of the Australian way to “she be right mate”.
The capitalist have achieved to have the masses slaves of the consumerism and making millions from it knowing that the people cannot complain or even to risk a change.
Capitalist stick together, the masses not, they have to suffer to exercise “people power”
What is happens now here is what was happen in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile at the beginning of the 1960’s
I guess that you people know what happens after…
What will it take…who really knows. Tomorrow is uncertain, people have lost interest in a government that spins rhetoric and slogans around like washing on the spin cycle…it won’t matter who is in Government they are only out for themselves. Australians want honesty, truth transparency integrity something that current politicians don’t seem to quite grasp…We are heading for another economic global collapse with no clear course of action…maybe when the proverbial …hits the fan people will start to unify.
When Newman and Tony Abbott were elected and I really hated what they were doing to my State and my Country I decided to join the Labor.Party. Don’t complain unless I was prepared to get involved. It’s amazing the things I am learning. I put my hand up to be more involved
I have also discovered online Media. Much better than reading Mudock rubbish..I also get involved with online petitions
I am also education those around me . I know I have much more to learn and
The average punter is so sick of THE LIES AND DECEPTION spewing out of their mouths that as a so called first world nation yet to have a REVOLUTION …………………………………. Just maybe we are LONG OVERDUE for one
Lyn, I am in the same position as you. Abbott and Baird. I also joined ALP. I am opening conversations with people I know about politics, not so much to argue a point but to try and understand what they think and why they arrive at their conclusions. This is a great site to open your mind politics. Whilst views are generally progressive, most here are not blinded by partisan loyalties to any particular “brand”. Balanced, well researched articles, an informative and educational community – a great site.
@Freethinker – you raise some great points. What is also manifestly evident is the malaise in Australian politics is a global phenomenon.There is a definite shift in the international political landscape. What the results of that shift will become is anyone’s guess. The optimist in me argues this election result is evidence of a move a away from neoliberal ideologies. The pessimist in me sees Dutton, Bernardi, Abetz, Bishop, Katter, Hanson et al and fears how much further we have to go.
Were my comments about eureka moments all through gillard’s stewardship and the last three years full of moments yet turncoat won or about canberra being far from a gold coast balcony unacceptable?
The amoral religious maniac and the rich man have achieved dream, the electorate has their honesty and the rest of use will get the bill.
Eureka required guts and a determination to be treated fairly. the miners were not rich, were being ripped off and treated as second class pests.
We are rich, we believe others are treated better than us and that is our ‘not fair’ but it also not true.
When ‘Eureka’ moments were obvious almost every day of gillard’s stewardship. continually popped up over the last 3 years and yet turncoat retained government. How? Why?
Anger is as far away from canberra as a gold coast balcony.
Tell me it’s not true. There’s a rumour going around that Murdoch’s Sky UK has won the contract to handle electronic voting in the UK from 2020. It surely can’t be true.
And today Turnbull comes out saying he favour’s electronic voting.
Yes, I’m suspicious.
I’d rather wait a month for manual counting to be finalised than have Murdoch run it here, if it ever came to that.
We would have to have two things for an electronic voting system:
A security system that is actually bullet proof, not just claimed to be – and a mandatory life sentence with no parole for anyone involved in attempting to rort it, at any level, no matter who they are.
In the meantime, anyone trying to sell the idea should be regarded with maximum suspicion, imo.
Pen, paper, heavily scrutinised manual counting, and waiting for the result no matter how long it takes, have served us well – and could be improved if we did two more things . . . make the AEC a fully funded truly independent statutory body that is immune from political interference, and completely quarantine any political party, or their minions, from distributing, or handling, postal voting papers.
Good article too, thanks for that. I’ve also wondered about our second Eureka moment and just what it will take to wake the sleepers up before it’s too late.
There may have been a fix already in. Many of the LNP camp couldn’t believe their losses. Were they told not to worry? There was a fix put in on itself by the Labor Party delegates when they elected Bill Shorten leader. They elected a right wing neoliberalist leader despite their rank and file clearly expressing support for another. You cannot elect leaders that don’t have your party ideals as their own. It is the Labor Party that don’t have the “fire (with a few exceptions) in their belly” that this author was looking for.
Come a 15% GST to pay for the corporate tax cuts on tax that foreign corporations don’t even pay now, come the selling of our health system into a corporate USA model … a model that even the USA is trying to rid itself of, come the cutting of penalty rates and job losses to Chinese 457 visa holders because the LNP have an ideology that Australians paying Australian costs should compete with Third World workers … there may be a revolution. And it may not be the peaceful one the Labor faithful envisioned.
I do not like to see a on line vote system but perhaps a system where the vote can be scanned like the lottery system will much safe and fast than the present one.
I understand what you are saying Melissa.
I can’t speak for others but I feel like I am in an abusive relationship. My tormentors’ objectives are my compliance, silence and loss of hope.
I can’t raise the energy to care anymore, my voice is lost in the wilderness.
I want to fight for justice but what’s the point?
At the moment I’m too busy fighting my apathy to fight injustice.
I’m not sure who my oppressors are – I think it’s either the msm or the ignorant masses.
Judith W, I know how you feel, it’s both the MSM and the ignorant masses, and of course our right-wing politicians.
Today would be Gough Whitlam’s 100th birthday; what happened to excitement and the possibility for a change…for the better.
Isn’t it amazing how effective a daily dose of fluoride in the water can be? It worked for Hitler in the concentration camps too…
Hi Judith W,
all of us who have put our ‘hearts and souls’ into this last campaign to unseat the filthy LNP Degenerates, their wealthy benefactors and the corrupted MSM, are feeling a bit worn out. But that is starting to pass for me.
I’m already looking at Canberra’s sitting dates and the consecutive days of 23, 24, 25 of August and 29, 30, 31 of August which are looking good for a visit to Canberra to let Malcolm Muck and his henchmen and women know not to get too comfy in their seats, because ALL the Opposition parties are out to get them.
Those Opposition parties are ALL political groups who aim to defeat neoliberalism and reinstate a fairer and kinder Australia for the 99%. (Labor might want to join forces with this movement, if Labor apparatchiks have grown up yet!?)
In Australia, the legislation requires all voting to be recorded by PENCIL on paper! The legislation has not been changed to accommodate PENS. As they are now counting the Postal and Absentee votes, I wonder how many of these forms remain unaltered?
Eureka moments, politicising events, arise individually. For some older people November 11, 1975 still propels a Labor vote. My mother never voted Liberal again after my brother was conscripted for Viet-Nam. For many people such moments come with their first visit to CentreLink after years of comfortable income and respect.
I cannot believe that anyone in casual employment, or depending on medical care, or any gay person or female person, or anyone with young children, or care for the environment, or saving for a home of their own … etc is still voting Liberal / National but obviously they still gave their vote to the party which oppresses them. As a scrutineer, I was disappointed to see some 25% of Green votes ultimately preferencing the Liberal candidate. Did they not know this was a vote for the Liberals?
You said it – you are sitting on your balcony reading …..
David July 11, 2016 at 10:54 am
Perhaps you have a link? Because is my reading of the legislation. (Link provided)
http://www.aec.gov.au/elections/australian_electoral_system/Electoral_Legislation.htm
There is no requirement that you use a pencil, a pen or a quill. It simply says that the voter must ‘write’. Check around the 240 mark.
Melissa: “Where is the fire in the belly of Aussies? There isn’t any.”
Not until this quarry for foreign owned companies and destination for tainted capital investing in ‘trophy homes’ goes the way of Brazil or Argentina.
10% interest rates plus might perk up the complacent ones, but then again maybe not.
Sleep is so sweet, do not disturb.
I think you need to look to the streets that contain a Thai restaurant.
MN,
Indeed, plus the AEC quite clearly states that electors may use their own pen despite the provision of pencils. You’d imagine they’d have a reasonable grasp of their own Act.
I asked the AEC if I was allowed to use my own pen and I was clearly told yes, pen was allowed.
Also king1394, that would seriously disappoint me too if the case, but can you clarify what you mean by “ultimately preferencing the Liberal candidate”?
In McMillan for instance on the how-to-vote cards, for the House of Reps, the Greens put Labor #2 and the Libs #4 simply because #5, #6, #7, #8 were worse prospects than even the Liberals could be such as Rise Up Australia #8. As for the Senate, the Greens did NOT preference the Libs at all above-the-line.
So was it the Greens voters you witnessed themselves making their own decisions? The same might be said about some Labor supporters who would rather preference the Libs before the Greens!
How an ALP polices supporter can give preference the the coalition instead of the Greens?
Australia will be better if these people do not vote.
In one sense I’m hoping this will not be true, in part because it will mean the Coalition have done even greater damage to the fabric of Australian society, and partly because history shows that incoming Labor governments tend not to overturn changes made by previous Coalition governments, especially in the economic sphere.
Political apathy and cynicism (particularly the latter) seem to have become – one might say – fashionable. Often it’s a mask for, or diversion from an individual’s own intellectual and moral sloth or ignorance. I have to say I’ve lost patience with people who express cynicism to me about politics and can’t back that attitude up with a single meaningful point beyond – “they don’t give me what I want. Whaaaaa!”…
It’s just an empty and convenient mantra from people increasingly consumed by a form of solipsism.
Freethinker,
Rightly or wrongly, a lot of Labor people are fairly pissed off at the Greens’ political behaviour, believing it doesn’t necessarily match their ideological framework. Plus I think the diversity of views that exists in the Labor Party demography has been sufficiently explained. There are many Labor centrists who think the Greens inhabit a place on the political spectrum that is simply too far to the left.
I’m a red-hot Commie, so I don’t take that view, but many do. It reflects the on-the-ground reality of the Australian electorate.
Dan, there are about 10 progressive micro parties that can be put on the preferences before put the Nats or any other extreme right party.
I guess that come to people to be well informed.
Unfortunately Dan,
many of those same Labor-pissed-off-at-Greens supporters are the same ones, who stay silent about human rights issues such as vulnerable people in the gulags on Manus and Nauru or the vulnerable people still withering away below the poverty line on Newstart.
I think all wayward Labor and Greens supporters, who preference the Liberal filth before each other, need to remember who the real enemies are and they are the LNP Degenerates AND neoliberalism.
Hear, hear Freethinker.
Freethinker, Jennifer
“Figures produced by ABC election analyst Anthony Green support this view. They reveal that between 20% and 25% of Greens votes have always allocated second preference to the Liberal Party.” In Gilmore 2016 it was 30% Whitlam 27%
Freethinker.
That’s not going to happen. We here at AIMN – and other political blogs – constitute a fairly tight niche of the Australian electorate – the “political tragic” niche. For mine it’s a relatively small cubbyhole for the politically committed – and God knows we probably all should be committed.
Most people aren’t going to study the deeper reality and policy substance of micro parties – and therefore, as far as I’m concerned, they should not vote for them. “The Australian Health Party” – gee, they sound good, health is really important. I’ll give them a preference.” And so it goes.
I’d actually like to see the rules changes and the criteria for registration as a party tightened, especially in terms of the number of people required to be members. But that’s probably a debate for another time.
It’ll be a while yet before we can really speak to how the electorate ultimately treated micros and minors so I’m going to reserve comment on it beyond this till there’s more substantial data from which to offer a meaningful analysis. However, at this stage I think we can observe, at least with respect to the Senate, that right-wing minors gained the greatest benefit from the electorate’s political cynicism regarding Lib/Lab duopoly and such.
Thank you cornlegend.
20-25% of Greens preference Libs – I am speechless ;-o
Jennifer,
They are only ‘wayward” from your perspective. They are not “wayward” in any other sense. We’re talking here about Greens and Labor demographics that are either centrist or quasi-conservative in their broader outlook. There are many environmentalists, for example, who vote for the Greens but whom are otherwise quite economicially and socially conservative.
Great article, Melissa.
Apathy will be the death knell for this country. I lament for the apathy of the majority in this country. Of course there are many of us who care deeply and have been expending every ounce of energy trying to fight this putrid government since September 2013. But we are weary. Somehow, from somewhere we must find the energy to keep going. This second term either result in an early election or a continuation of a paralysed country as an ineffectual PM is stymied by an even more hostile Senate. Another three years of inaction keeping the country in a destructive holding pattern while the rest of the world moves on. I just wish Aussies had the fire in the belly that Europeans have. The French would be rioting in the streets at the unfair austerity measures this gov has tried to impose over the last three years while giving fat, juicy handouts to their mates and Party donors in the corporate world and top income earners.
PS: What is the name of your FB group and can I join?
IMO, the failure of the micro parties is that there are about 6 of them with the same or very similar policies and vision but instead of forming one party they choose to go in separate ways.
I just wonder if they have learned the lesson and in the next election there will be one only Australian Progressive Party.
If they keep as it is I will start have doubts if it is not a problem of greed from control and all of them one to be on the top.
We need a progressive party that address the problems in the bush as well to start taken votes for the Nationals
Also they have to have candidates for the senate.
Dan,
I’m well aware of the mixed demographics we’re talking about in the assorted electorates that don’t seem to mind preferencing the Liberals before Greens or Labor as the case may be.
‘Wayward’ may not suit conservative and quasi-conservative voters to be so described, but I consider my perspective to be reasonable considering we have just witnessed almost 3 years of cutting, slashing and humiliation under the mismanagement of the LNP regime while much of that time Shorten stayed quiet when he should have been more vocal.
We will get a change of better government once people take responsibility for their votes and demand more from their political representatives.
[I’d actually like to see the rules changes and the criteria for registration as a party tightened, especially in terms of the number of people required to be members]
The Commonwealth Electoral Act was passed in 1918 at a time when we had 5m population. If the 500 member minimum has never changed by regulationsince then, it would be time. Much easier to get 500 members with 23m, particularly light of a significant lose of party loyalty. The senate needs to be streamlined. 2000 would limit defragmentation, and make dud single issue parties uncommon.
“take responsibility for their votes and demand more from their political representatives.”
I do, but that doesn’t mean the Greens feature anywhere on my radar, and on that I’m probably moderate.Labor members I know in Grayndler, Sydney Melbourne, Melbourne Ports etc would rather poke their eye out with a sharp stick than have anything to do with the Greens,
I’m like them, but have a low pain tolerance 😀
Freethinker,
Yes, it’s far too complicated at the moment. Needlessly so. In my view the Senate ballot was nothing short of farcical. Choice is one thing, but I don’t need to have to decide between 18 different types of political Tim Tam when they all taste much the same anyway. The complexity is both confusing and bemusing for the electorate.
Of course, attaining “unity” between “progressive” minor parties such that a united progressive party might be formed, à la Jennifer’s notion of a Progressive Alliance Party type thing involves all sorts of difficulties. Egos, power plays, small ideological differences that people won’t budge on even for the sake of political pragmatism. And of course internal ructions aren’t the sole province of the major parties. Before the election the founder of the Australian Progressives, Tim Jones, tweeted:
A sense of unity of purpose isn’t something automatic among progressive minors. For one thing not everyone agrees on what “progressive” actually means, even though it’s a trendy term to employ to differentiate oneself from liberals or neoliberals.
But I do agree that the practical, functional unification of progressive minor parties is something that needs to happen. I guess the question is who is going to put their hand up to be the catalyst? Maybe Jennifer could make that her political project for the next 3 years. At least we know her heart would be well and truly in it.
Oh, and agree with what Jimbo said.
Today would have been Gough Whitlam’s 100th birthday. Vale Gough
I couldn’t warm to Online Direct Democracyand my feelings may have been ill founded but I just kept wondering whether there were other motives in regards to its founder Berge Der Sarkissian
Mr Der Sarkissian offered the enforceable undertaking following an ASIC investigation into suspected breaches of the Corporations Act relating to the Telstra 2 Public Share Offer.
As a result of ASIC’s investigation, ASIC formed a view that between August 1999 and October 1999, Mr Der Sarkissian was involved in making 420 applications for Telstra 2 Instalment Receipts (T2IR) using names that may have been contrived.
Further, ASIC was concerned that Mr Der Sarkissian caused 26 transfers of T2IR’s from names that may have been contrived to another person who was associated with DB Management Pty Ltd, in order for these T2IR’s to be sold in the future for the benefit of the company.
ASIC was concerned that Mr Der Sarkissian had engaged in conduct that was misleading or deceptive, or likely to mislead or deceive, in respect of his dealings in the T2IR’s
I have said Happy 100th Birthday, already to Gough, but I’m happy to do so again.
The Australian Progressives is a work in progress and it does have good aspirations. I’m not anti what Freethinker is saying about an alliance between them and some of the other true progressive parties such as the Pirate Party. But it is not for me to say, as I’m more an interested bystander, sometimes discussion contributor and recent how-to-vote distributor.
[We will get a change of better government once people take responsibility for their votes and demand more from their political representatives]
I simply cannot see any causes in play where that is going to occur.
We are politically or socially apathetic for a large number of reasons, one of which is that the masses don’t need much more from government or unions in terms of services than that which is already provided. The operative word is need, rather than wish. Those that do are the least strong among us and do not have strong voice.
If we still had needs our unions would still be strong.
The modern world does not appear to be one that produces or enables political heroes, people that can achieve great things. Many people need heroes to form strong attachments to social causes.
We need to increase taxation on the rich so that the ALP has something to offer the masses, such as medicare dental or house building programs.
With our conservative base so strong and determined, and media and lobbyist action so corrupt, a trend to higher taxation for the rich must occur elsewhere before Australia will do what is necessary. I don’t think any OECD country will rock the boat when traditional markets are so competitive due to the rise of Asian capitalism and asian mega billionaries. With so much untapped Asian human resource productivity, it will be pigs at the trough for the rich for a long time.
Another reason is how technology has changed our lives and the way we think in so many ways. I’m convinced it leads to greater selfishness – we spend more of our free time taking information from machines than communicating with others. Our world is much vaster, so much more to divide or distract our attention, than when we were younger. The frontier has diminished. We are less naïve about the failings of authority, and authority no longer respects us either. The modern entertainment world tends to dampen established moral frameworks – we are no longer as shocked by something such an asylum seeker setting themselves on fire. We move on to the next thing of temporary interest. The lures of materialism with constant in your face advertising to stir up innate selfish desires.
These things make it harder to be motivated about wishes – we have to need things to be motivated.
PCism and multiculturalism has made it more difficult to discuss political issues for fear of offending. To me people seem to be more fragile, less used to conversational conflicts.
On the positive side, yes we do have the hope that the LNP will become unruly trying to get bad legislation through that would not even be presented were it not for the rabid far righters. We have the hope that people will gradually tire of paying attention to the squawking right wing media. We have the hope that people will slowly tire of shallow entertainments and seek some more intellectual or socially advantageous pursuits.
I did however think we’d have much greater chance if we cut immigration considerably before there is no rebel left in us.
jimhaz,
I don’t deny your words of wisdom contain merit but if we had always believed there was no hope, we would not have made positive advances ever.
One step at a time and in the same direction and the momentum increases.
Jimhaz – IMHO many workers do still have needs. Unfortunately, whether through innate corruption or demonization through MSM, unions have been seriously emasculated; it’s easy to spot a conservative/tory/neoliberal/RWNJ – they say union like it is a swear word. Abbott’s instigation of the TURC wasn’t to weaken unions, and by extension Labor, it was to destroy what was left (no pun intended).
As far as OECD countries not rocking the boat – I think Brexit is a fine example of how just 17m can rock the boat!! Irrespective of the final outcome, Brexit will continue to rock the global market for the foreseeable future.
As noted in articles, and comments, on The AIMN, what LNP fail to acknowledge in the loss of so many seats is the electorate’s increasing rejection of neoliberal ideologies. I would attribute a similar phenomenon in Britain being responsible for Brexit.
I do agree with you regarding taxation reform and Immigration. I am not economist. I do not know what the answer is to kick start our economy. Nor am I a sociologist able to suggest what is required to discard the self-evident apathy shared by the vast majority of Australians. What I believe, with my heart and soul, is that while the LNP/Coalition have less of a collective clue than I do, another term under their governorship with privatisation plans, cuts to health, social services, education etc etc etc will drag us even further down the rabbit hole. Perhaps, just perhaps, a small minority government and a hostile senate will help make the bastards less dishonest.
@ Francescaagosti ………… my FB group is called “Scrutinising Australian and World Events” Please join 🙂 Melissa Frost
‘The Liberals take care of nurses’. I couldn’t go any further. You just can’t fix stupid.