again. The odds-on favourite for the top job looks like a dead cert to be first past the post, although others in the field are hoping he’ll break a leg.
With the likelihood of gaining power in the Lower House, Barry O’Farrell must be finding it hard not to gloat. What is less sure is the possible makeup of the Upper House. Punters are all in a lather about who may get in, and more importantly, who will control that House.
With an untried leader, and a Liberal or Coalition government that’s been in the long paddock for the last 16 years, the prospect of that party controlling both houses is frightening. A Coalition-controlled Upper House would just be a rubber stamp, without real debate on important issues.
So what are the options?
Labor’s poor track record for state decision-making gives no one any confidence. Would a balance of power held by the Shooters and Fishers party, and/or Fred Niles group, be any better? Unlikely! Then what’s the alternative? The only party with credibility seem to be The Greens. They appear to have been the only ones that have consistently fought for balanced, long-term changes to benefit all sections of our society. They have also shown they are prepared to stand up to governments who give special interest groups priority over the interests of the general community.
We really need to think long and hard about whether the two major parties really have what it takes to move Australia forward. Do we really want the same old, tired approaches to fixing problems? I certainly don’t.
Steve Knott
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