As the first post in this blog, I would like to 'set the stage', to define the context of where I'm coming from and the world of Australian politics as it is today.
Julia Gillard has been in power for just over a year after replacing Kevin Rudd with Brutus inspired precision. She defended her position at the last election, but only thanks to the support of three of four lower house independents. It also saw the rise of the Greens, who have just taken the balance of power in the senate.
Deliriously stumbling from issue to issue, the Labor government has recently backed down from a live exports ban to Indonesia, is about to announce the details of its plan for a carbon tax, and continues to promote an indefensible 'Malaysian Solution' involving an actual official exchange of people with another government, among many other things.
While the Labor party is at a particularly dramatic low in the polls, the Liberal-National Coalition has been relatively unified by Catholic Conservative Tony Abbott. Despite a legacy of opposing abortion drugs, saying that he's not always honest, a poor relationship with homosexual rights groups and a climb into power not unlike Julia Gillard's, he is almost unscarred from a closely fought election campaign, and an opposition to the relatively popular NBN policy.
The Greens' have a new found influence that has invigorated them. A fact not lost on an alarmed right leaning media. Why wouldn't they be worried though? With one Senator and one MP with strong sensitivities to, a past of or relationship with communism. Long term leader and hero of the Green movement, Senator Bob Brown himself is revelling in the attention, calling for a world government. As if that wasn't enough to stir the pot, he's also quite confident that the broken ALP will be consigned to third party status.
All this and there are many political battles under way or soon to be had. I look forward to complaining about many if not all of them in the time to come.
Thank you for reading.
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