Kevin Rudd and The Ministry of Magic…

2007 Election Snippets – December 1st, 2007 by Sarah

I feel I would be doing myself a dis-service if I wrote about Kevin Rudd’s new and improved band of merry men and women without making one or two Harry Potter references. Perhaps it’s just a generational thing, but whenever the word ‘ministry’ comes up, my first thought is usually a panoramic view of Hogwart’s by night, complete with a full moon just slightly hidden behind a fluffy yet somewhat foreboding looking cloud.

Actually, perhaps an entire Harry Potter analogy is fitting in this situation… The Rudd is clearly Dumbledore. He holds all the power, yet doesn’t always use it in ways we would expect, and his decisions can sometimes be confusing and even a little disappointing. Hopefully, like Dumbledore, The Rudd will wow us in the end with his awesome intelligence and a keen ability to outsmart the opposition.

Julia is Professor McGonagall. Like McGonagall, who is not only deputy headmistress of Hogwarts, but also head of Gryffindor House and a teacher of transfiguration, Julia has a lot on her plate. As newly appointed Minister for Education as well as receiving the Employment and Work Relations portfolio, Julia is facing a pretty hard road. However, I’m confident she’s up to the challenge, and will make an impressive acting Prime Minister when The Rudd heads to Bali, just as McGonagall led Hogwarts in fine form after Dumbledore’s, ahem, exit.

I could go on, but I won’t.

Before accusing me of trivialising a fairly significant event in political history, I do actually have a point. With this change in government, I hope that political issues become much more accessible to the average Australian. Under Howard’s leadership, the political landscape of Australia has become barren and uninspiring. It often wasn’t a case of Australians not caring about the issues facing our country, but not having these issues presented to us in a way that allowed us to relate, we were not encouraged to seek out information in order to contribute and make a difference. Like Harry Potter, political involvement isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. But it cannot be denied that Harry has indeed made a significant impact on popular culture. He reached a lot of people and most importantly encouraged a lot of kids to read and be imaginative. The Rudd government needs to find a way to reach Australia, find a way of presenting the issues that forces us to sit up and take notice. Australia has become jaded by the presentation of the same old propaganda on the economy, on the war in Iraq. It’s time for something new, and I’m confident The Rudd and his band of merry men and women have the magic, sorry, the skills, to make this happen.

Come on Kevie, make us care again!

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Australian politics, Federal Election 2007, Harry Potter, Howard Government, Kevin Rudd

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