This opinion piece by Mike Carlton in Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald (24/11/07) proved prophetic
Revenge of the betrayed battlers
THE bizarre antics of the Liberal pamphleteers in Lindsay might not have been sanctioned by the machine. But they speak volumes for the culture of the Liberal Party, particularly in its NSW division.
It is the politics of fear and loathing. By turning one group of Australians against another, the theory goes, it is possible to divide and rule. Minority groups - Muslims, homosexuals, unmarried mothers, trade union members, academics, etc - can be dispatched to the margins while the party leadership wraps itself in khaki and the flag with high-blown sophistry about Aussie family values.
Where necessary, the threat from without can also be invoked - queue-jumping refugees, for example - and then met by iron-fisted measures like the Pacific solution. This is not something new to the Liberals. It has worked for them often. Ben Chifley's light on the Labor hill was trumped by Robert Menzies' reds under the bed.
Until now, John Howard has been a masterly exponent of fear and division. But when he gained control of the Senate at the last election, his visceral hatred of unions overreached itself. Work Choices was an attack on the Howard Battlers who had given him four election victories. It is an exquisite irony that those battlers will now bring him undone today.
smhcarlton@hotmail.com
11 and1/2 long years of Howard - we can't believe it is over and Australia has chosen a new direction, into the 21st century.
We watched the tally room analysis until Howard conceded defeat and Rudd assumed victory - switching between the ABC and WIN's coverage: the dignified debate of Julia Gillard and Antony Green on the ABC counterbalanced with the squirmy depths of Ray Martin's, Michael Kroger's and Robert Ray's coverage on WIN. We wouldn't have missed it for the world.
We toasted victory with Mum and Maxie & Rod at Jerrabomberra (over 7% swing to Labor, unseating sitting Liberal member Gary Nairn).
Revenge of the betrayed battlers
THE bizarre antics of the Liberal pamphleteers in Lindsay might not have been sanctioned by the machine. But they speak volumes for the culture of the Liberal Party, particularly in its NSW division.
It is the politics of fear and loathing. By turning one group of Australians against another, the theory goes, it is possible to divide and rule. Minority groups - Muslims, homosexuals, unmarried mothers, trade union members, academics, etc - can be dispatched to the margins while the party leadership wraps itself in khaki and the flag with high-blown sophistry about Aussie family values.
Where necessary, the threat from without can also be invoked - queue-jumping refugees, for example - and then met by iron-fisted measures like the Pacific solution. This is not something new to the Liberals. It has worked for them often. Ben Chifley's light on the Labor hill was trumped by Robert Menzies' reds under the bed.
Until now, John Howard has been a masterly exponent of fear and division. But when he gained control of the Senate at the last election, his visceral hatred of unions overreached itself. Work Choices was an attack on the Howard Battlers who had given him four election victories. It is an exquisite irony that those battlers will now bring him undone today.
smhcarlton@hotmail.com
11 and1/2 long years of Howard - we can't believe it is over and Australia has chosen a new direction, into the 21st century.
We watched the tally room analysis until Howard conceded defeat and Rudd assumed victory - switching between the ABC and WIN's coverage: the dignified debate of Julia Gillard and Antony Green on the ABC counterbalanced with the squirmy depths of Ray Martin's, Michael Kroger's and Robert Ray's coverage on WIN. We wouldn't have missed it for the world.
We toasted victory with Mum and Maxie & Rod at Jerrabomberra (over 7% swing to Labor, unseating sitting Liberal member Gary Nairn).
This morning baby Ella was quite unconcerned about the momentous events happening at government level. She was looking forward to a day's shopping with J&J and "doing lunch". She is learning to clap her hands and is forever intrigued by Nellie the beagle.
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