It’s kind of disheartening when the people who make our laws and have complete control of our common wealth admit that their only goal is to get rid of the other side.
When The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age invited federal MPs to attend a one-hour Zoom demonstration of what an empathy training course entails, five agreed – and their responses demonstrate exactly why we must change, not only our government, but our whole system of governance.
Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes, described as a “passionate advocate for rural and regional NSW” despite living on Sydney’s North Shore, had no qualms in setting us straight about our expectations of a constructive, respectful workplace in Parliament.
“Parliament and politics by its nature is actually not about compromise,” Hughes said. “This isn’t necessarily an outcome-oriented workplace. It’s a political workplace that has quite an adversarial nature at times.”
Not about compromise? Not outcome-oriented?
It seems our politicians have never grown up from their university debating days.
Barnaby Joyce seems to be channelling his rugby school days when adding his insight into what his job entails.
“[B]y its very nature, Parliament has the objective that one side has to get rid of the other, and vice versa. It’s a hostile crazy boarding school out in the country.”
Barnaby also had a bit to say on the idea that morality was a “core competency” for empathy.
“The morals of someone at Nimbin are going to be entirely different to the morals of someone at St Mary’s Cathedral, but neither of them would think they are personally doing something immoral.”
Is he equating smoking pot with institutionalised child sex abuse? Is he saying Catholic churchgoers like him are automatically of high moral standing?
Craig Kelly said he was too old to learn anything.
“You might be able to train someone as a teenager. When you’re 40 or 50 or 60 years old, it’s very hard to change your perspective of life.”
No wonder he thinks science is bullshit.
These are the people entrusted with the responsibility to make the decisions that determine our future.
It’s time we demanded better.
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