And so it begins: Election 2007

The Focus – October 15th, 2007 by Sarah

I suppose I would be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly excited about the commencement of election campaign madness. I’m uncertain as to whether this is because as a member of the Labor Party (yes, my secret is out, I am not as impartial a judge as I initially appear. Cough.) it is now my turn to shine and make my contribution to Changing History (yawn), or because now that it has begun, the sooner it will all be over. My guess is it’s primarily the latter.

As demonstrated in my last blog, I find politicians to be a fairly uninspiring, largely unethical group of people. I thought actually joining a political party would change this particular attitude of mine, but in reality it has done nothing but fuel it further. Election campaigns further magnify this perception of mine, and so far I certainly haven’t been disappointed. Unsurprisingly, Little Johnny is combining a scare campaign with trying to disguise himself as someone with a social conscience (yes, I’m referring to this so-called reconciliation referendum. What a joke. I think the fact that if he actually gets the opportunity to follow through with this laughable notion he still won’t have said sorry places him close to the top of the Most Conniving Politicians List.), and The Rudd is subscribing to an ‘it’s time for a change’ type approach, which involves acknowledging Little Johnny’s political prowess while at the same time emphasising every bad decision he has ever made. Predictable. Yet interesting…

The most interesting aspect of all this is which strategy will succeed. When I initially jumped on the Labor Party bandwagon, I believed the upcoming election would force Australians to make a choice. A choice between what is morally right, and economic stability. I’ve come to realise there is a lot more to it than either of these things, that social justice is often pushed aside in the fight for power, and is even used as a bartering chip, or a tool of manipulation.

During this campaign, I urge Australians to be savvy. Don’t be fooled by the promises that will be made, by the attempts to smear people’s names. This is all about power, and the desire to win. It is our right to be able to choose a leader without being manipulated or lied to, so don’t be fooled by the endless propaganda coming at you from all directions. Now is a time to be critical and discerning. Complacency is NOT an option.

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