How good is Australia?
Scott Morrison celebrated the Coalition's election win by posing this question: "How good's Australia?" It's clear the Prime Minister thinks this is a rhetorical question, and that the answer is "good enough". We saw an abundance of this favoured rhetoric throughout the election campaign when Morrison pondered just how good many things are. Christmas, Gladys Liu, and Mum were all up for consideration. Australians are certainly fond of mothers and the festive season, but the risk in voters seriously considering Liu's value as a candidate may have been underestimated. She was, however, successful, and so was her party. This was, in part, due to the strength of Morrison's presidential campaign strategy, which helped frame the election as a juvenile popularity contest between Bill and Scott. What wasn't unique to this election though was the Coalition's promise of passive government.
Morrison's "How good's Australia?" comment distils the sort of incessant complacency that has always characterised the Liberal party. We saw it all the way back through the 18-year Menzian stupor, and up to Howard's promise for a "comfortable and relaxed" Australia. The current Prime Minister has now pledged to "govern humbly". This is nothing new. In fact it rests at the very core of the Liberal party doctrine. Theirs is a philosophy of small government committed to non-action. The status quo has always been good enough for the Liberal party. It's a testament to clever marketing that a party who proudly and openly opposes almost all progress can get re-elected. Imagine an Australia where the Labor party shared their approach. Was Australia good enough before Medicare? Or before Indigenous recognition? What about fairer wages? Were disabled Australians comfortable and relaxed before the NDIS? Was the economy strong enough to endure the GFC without intervention? The Liberal party thought so.
The truth is Australia is not good enough and it is not doing enough. This country has too often been shaped by missed opportunity and restrained by unfulfilled potential. History tells us the Coalition is likely to perpetuate this awful tradition and ensure an even more latent response to a changing world with changing values. Right now there is increasing wealth disparity and the economy is already in a per-capita recession. There is rampant under-employment and thousands of people are relying on low-paying, insecure work, often for tax-evading employers. Indigenous Australians are still over-incarcerated and under-represented. On Manus and Nauru the 30 prisoners who have self-harmed since the election result are absolutely certain of how good a job Australia is doing under the Coalition. Most Australian's have social hearts and an innate sense for justice, what's needed is a government that represents this. What we need is a government who has an honest conversation about how good Australia is, and how it could be made much better.
Morrison's "How good's Australia?" comment distils the sort of incessant complacency that has always characterised the Liberal party. We saw it all the way back through the 18-year Menzian stupor, and up to Howard's promise for a "comfortable and relaxed" Australia. The current Prime Minister has now pledged to "govern humbly". This is nothing new. In fact it rests at the very core of the Liberal party doctrine. Theirs is a philosophy of small government committed to non-action. The status quo has always been good enough for the Liberal party. It's a testament to clever marketing that a party who proudly and openly opposes almost all progress can get re-elected. Imagine an Australia where the Labor party shared their approach. Was Australia good enough before Medicare? Or before Indigenous recognition? What about fairer wages? Were disabled Australians comfortable and relaxed before the NDIS? Was the economy strong enough to endure the GFC without intervention? The Liberal party thought so.
The truth is Australia is not good enough and it is not doing enough. This country has too often been shaped by missed opportunity and restrained by unfulfilled potential. History tells us the Coalition is likely to perpetuate this awful tradition and ensure an even more latent response to a changing world with changing values. Right now there is increasing wealth disparity and the economy is already in a per-capita recession. There is rampant under-employment and thousands of people are relying on low-paying, insecure work, often for tax-evading employers. Indigenous Australians are still over-incarcerated and under-represented. On Manus and Nauru the 30 prisoners who have self-harmed since the election result are absolutely certain of how good a job Australia is doing under the Coalition. Most Australian's have social hearts and an innate sense for justice, what's needed is a government that represents this. What we need is a government who has an honest conversation about how good Australia is, and how it could be made much better.
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