The Age Editorial Re-Editorialised
by Stephen Hughes (@flipzwidling)
25 June 2013
As the September 2013 Australian Government election approaches I am perturbed by the lack of detail that the main alternative to an ALP led government, the LNP coalition, is providing to the electorate.
I am cautious of any group who seeks the power and responsibility of government through a campaign of negativity that focuses on key slogans to influence public opinion, and unsubstantiated attacks on the credibility of the government of the day.
I am also cautious of the politics of personality that is drowning out any substantive debate on what it means to govern and what is really in the best interests of all Australians – not some Australians – all Australians.
I am curious as to how a government that can’t get its messages of policy and success heard is blamed for that very issue, when the main stream media seems bereft of any capacity to interrogate the opposition parties on their intentions should they be bestowed the privilege of governing this country.
Interview after interview of government ministers who daily front the cameras and microphones of the mainstream media are reduced to questions about pretenders to the Prime Ministership. It is hard to understand how they can get their portfolios examined by voters when they aren’t asked any questions about them.
I am not a member of a political party but I have a long standing interest in politics, especially as I have worked in the education professions for over thirty years.
As a frustrated voter I recently considered what I wanted to know about an alternative government’s policies on matters that impact on my life and the lives of my family, friends and community.
So I compiled a list of questions and went to Twitter looking for some answers. Here is the list of tweets I compiled over a two day period to prompt some discussion and encourage others to start or keep asking questions and expecting answers in specific terms. Before I list the questions though, I did tweet some opinions.
The relentless focus on leadership qualities in government gives a free ride to incompetent and lazy politicians who represent electorates. What has your local member done for your electorate this term? If they are in opposition don’t let them get away with using that as an excuse.
Get the focus back onto evaluating what politicians are doing for their pay. I get annual performance reviews as most do nowadays. Why not our local members?
The questions:
- Of the hundreds of pieces of legislation passed by the 43rd parliament what specific pieces will be repealed by a coalition government if elected?
- Will a coalition government repeal legislation that it actually supported while in opposition?
- What will the coalition do in government that the current government isn’t already doing to discourage asylum seekers arriving by boat?
- Given the small impact of the carbon tax on electricity prices what will a coalition government do to bring down electricity prices?
- How will a coalition government improve the living standards of low income people?
- What will a coalition government do to ensure equity of educational opportunities across states and systems?
- What will a coalition government do to ensure that all Australians have affordable health care that is timely & delivered by expert staff?
- How will a coalition government protect the working rights of young people seeking entry into the workforce for the first time?
- What would a coalition government do to preserve the protection of collective enterprise bargaining for working Australians?
- The cost of education is soaring in Australia. $2560 for a one semester certificate 4 course at TAFE in Qld. How will a coalition government reduce the costs of education?
- How will a coalition government ensure that Australia’s interests as a global citizen will be furthered if elected?
- What will a coalition government do to protect the superannuation of Australians from being eroded?
- Will a coalition government give refugees the right to work and pay taxes while waiting for permanent citizenship?
- How will a coalition government address the gross inadequacies in basic service delivery to remote aboriginal communities?
- How would a coalition government protect Australia from the threat of diseases such as TB being imported from PNG?
- How would a coalition government ensure that the pervasive and growing incidence of mental health problems in the community be addressed?
- How would a coalition government protect the interests of all Australians by preventing tax minimisation by the rich?
- What would a coalition government do to reduce the death toll on Australia’s roads?
- How would a coalition government reduce the rate of youth suicide in Australia?
- What would a coalition government do to prevent the fracturing of Australian society along lines of income, education, access to technology?
- How would a coalition government address the serious issue of alcohol fuelled violence in communities?
- What strategies would a coalition government adopt to reduce the impact of domestic violence in communities?
- How would a coalition government ensure accountability of all politicians to the electorate and under law?
- How would a coalition government ensure equal opportunity in Australian society and workplaces?
- What would a coalition government do to return the focus of government to governing rather than focusing on the personality cult of leadership?
- What would a coalition govt do to maximise the benefits of mining for all Australians?
- What would a coalition government do to ensure a planned transition to a low carbon based economy? What it the plan to wean us off coal?
- What would a coalition government do to enhance health services to rural communities? What is their plan?
- What would a coalition government do to reduce the burden of spiralling higher education costs on young people?
- What strategies does the coalition have for reducing the impact of a growing population on the environment?
- A decade of drought will come again. What water security measures does a coalition government plan to implement?
- How would a coalition government deal with an ally who spies on Australian citizens? Can it protect our freedom?
- Why won’t Tony Abbott go on Q&A? Why won’t he go on the 7:30 report?
- What specific aspects of the current government’s asylum seeker policy would a coalition government keep?
- How would a coalition government protect Australian manufacturing jobs in the face of globalisation?
- How would a coalition government ensure that Australians are protected from global financial pressures?
- What is the coalition’s plan for restoring tertiary education as a driver of innovation not just vocational training?
- What additional taxes will a coalition government introduce to return the budget to their promised surplus?
- Will a coalition government protect the universal health care system that has served Australia so well?
- Would a coalition government follow through on the current investigations into child abuse and the Catholic church?
- What percentage of Australian GDP will a coalition government spend on defence forces and related expenditure? How would this compare with efforts to resolve conflicts through peaceful diplomatic means?
- What lengths will a coalition government go to, to support the USA in its agenda of global interventions?
- How will a coalition government promote Australia as a peaceful nation with legitimate interests in the development of Asia?
- How will a coalition government address the social injustices that plague many countries in our global neighbourhood?
- Will a coalition government recognise the rights of Indigenous people in Australia to exercise their legitimate interests in the management of traditional homelands?
The more questions I write, the more I realise that I am not hearing them asked in the mainstream media. I feel denied my rights in a democracy to hear from a free press the real intentions of a pretender to government at the federal level.
The very same questions can be asked of the current government, but a lot of their answers are already in the public domain as part of the legacy of the last two terms of government.
By the way, the answers to my questions are not in the ‘Plan’ published by the LNP, complete with quotes by Mr Abbott from 1992. I downloaded it recently and read it.
I want to hear the answers to my questions from the mouths of the politicians concerned and not only from Tony Abbott alone either. I want to know who is behind him.
A government is not a Prime Minster standing at the dispatch box at question time, despite what we see on mainstream media nightly. We need answers to our questions from all the team.
I saw Andrew Rob on the ABC 7:30 Report on budget night after Penny wong was interviewed. I was appalled at his inability to answer the most pedestrian of questions put to him. If this is the quality of the ministry proposed by Tony Abbott then I am especially concerned.
The interrogation needed includes local members. If we can’t get them to answer our questions then how could you invest your vote in people who won’t be held accountable for their proposals?
Social media is presenting us with unprecedented voice in the political processes of our nation. Let’s get some questions heard and demand answers that politicians can be held to account on.
Very well done, Stephen. Thank you for all the praiseworthy work you have put into this. Just seeing what is tweeted, or posted in blogs, there a great many, like yourself, who are deeply concerned at the low level that public discourse has sunk to aided & abetted by the lazy MSM who seem happy to publish Liberal press releases.as news. The Nationals are saying very little except “me too”.
Any attempt to draw attention to this state of affairs is howled down by LNP barrackers who never acknowledge facts. All they do is to abuse & belittle those they deem “lefties” because they dare to question what the heck the Coalition stands for & what surprises do they have in store for Australia should they gain power. It’s like a cult.
Great list. Thanks. It is a worry that the Opposition seem to want us to accept that they will do a good job if we give them a chance. I wouldn’t give such an important job to someone who declines to commit to anything even if they have talent.
I would like to add:
Will the LNP continue with the action against Japan to stop the whaling in the Southern Ocean?
What does renegotiate NBN contracts mean?
Will extant contracts remain as FTTH or will they be renegotiated as FTTN?
Will FTTH contract work be stopped immediately or will it continue until a renegotiated
FTTN contracted is agreed?
How long after the election will FTTH contracts continue?
Otherwise, a guarantee that existing FTTH contracts will be honoured, as is.
Good stuff
So looking forward to asking these questions of the Lib member in my seat when he comes around…and if I don’t see him before hand I’ll find him on Sept 14 and ask him then…should keep him busy for a few hours!!! And I am looking forward to him squirming out of answering…..oh what fun!!!! (PS I am in Melbourne so it’s Adam v Kath and ‘this guy’)
Excellent list of questions that I too would like answers to before I place my vote. Based on what I have heard so far, I would not vote to change the current government, who to my mind have made some positive changes/improvements since being in office. The negativity and three word slogans/sound bites from the Abbott camp only increase my fears of what we may well be in for after Sept. No government is perfect and situations can change which need a change in direction to meet global challenges beyond our predictions. The Gillard government has taken on the difficult items, not fully understood by those who can only manage a ‘sound bite’.
An excellent piece
I do hope you do not mind but I have plagiarized your work and sent a letter to the Age newspaper asking some for some of these questions to be asked and answered.
I seriously doubt it will be printed
Great idea G2etc…..
Good luck. Plug away. I reckon this is a great space to generate questions. Collectively we will certainly hit on a few that will spark some interest in the MSM and then who knows?
Stirling job. It’s looks like it is up to us and the comedians. I’ve put my money into the ashbygatetrust to get some answers.
Great list.
Spread it far and wide, people. Get the questions asked.
Forgot to say:
Q 20 touches on it, but I didn’t see any direct questions about the NBN and media/telecommunications policy, and the nexus between Abbott, Murdoch, and the NBN. It is very critical to our society to get the NBN done right and soon, and to keep it out of the hands of the Murdochs and Rineharts of this world.
Very thoughtful article Stephen, not to mention the questions which I too would love to hear the answers to. I am totally disillusioned with the media and their unwillingness to give the current government a fair go, and scared shitless of what will happen to this great country of ours if we end up with the Liberal Coalition trying to run the country.
Thank dog for the fifth estate
A few other questions that probably should be asked:
46. What would the Coalition do to improve Federal-State relations, given that there will be a mixture of ALP and LNP state Governments post the election?
47. The Coalition has indicated that it sees soil carbon capture as its best plan for direct action. Who is going to audit this, given the CSIRO has indicated that its impact is a fraction of that described by the LNP?
48. The Coalition has a ‘plan’ to create 2 million jobs in its first term. Given that we have 5.5% unemployment and a population of 23m, this indicates that there are up to 1.26m unemployed (ABS gives it as closer to 600k). Who are these jobs going to be filled by once we have full employment?
49. Will the Coalition consider the purchase of US Virginia class nuclear submarines that are cheaper and more reliable than newly designed conventional subs?
50. Can the Coalition give an indication of the total cost and benefit of its Northern Australia plan? Will the Productivity Commission be asked to do a cost-benefit analysis?
51. The Coalition is proposing to use FttN rather than FttP for its broadband policy. Will the Coalition need to acquire the copper network to achieve this and at what cost? Can the Coalition confirm that Telstra is currently spending $1b per annum on copper maintenance and if so, what percentage of this would be liable to the Coalition Government?
Terrific questions Andrew. I wonder if we could get to 100 questions by the end of the week?
52. What is the future of the Australian Curriculum under a possible LNP government? Will curriculum experts be given the freedom to design curricula based on broad consultation as it has been or will there be political interference?
53. What will be a LNP approach to the evolution of a national curriculum?
54. How will a LNP education minister influence accepted and well researched learner centred pedagogical approaches in primary schools?
55. How does the LNP plan to raise PISA results for Australian students while reducing funding to universities that train teachers?
I’ve sent the first 45 off to Raf on 774 for this afternoon’s Fight Club. He went on a bit of a defensive rant yesterday saying he did talk policy not just leadership and then at the end said OK…contribute to tomorrow’s Fight Club – where he talks (sic) to Dreyfus and a leading Lib bod….often Josh Fryenberg (spelling?)
Great stuff Jenny. Can concerned citizens really make a difference? I hope so.
I would like to see and compare answers to the questions given by ALL political parties. Why the emphasis on what the Coalition would do?
I just used the coalition because the point is that that MSM don’t seem to be asking any policy questions of the main opposition. I am happy to ask all parties the same things.
Best wishes,
Steve
Would you mind if I built a website out of these questions that allowed people to email questions, or tweet them to specific members of the Opposition?
No worries. Go right ahead.
Best wishes,
Steve
Done — see http://goaskabbott.com
I’ve cleaned up all the questions and made their wording a bit more consistent, fixed some spelling, etc, and created cut-down ‘tweetable’ versions of the questions. I also included the questions in the comments, and have split some questions into two. And I wrote some song lyrics to go with it so people can sing along as they pop questions off.
This week I’ll write a quick tweetbot that retweets any questions asked, and pops out random questions every hour or so. I’ve also turned the data into a simple API for other developers to re-present how they like. The site pings credit for the original questions back to this page. Enjoy.