Nice Rod #2
You may remember me earlier this year singing the praises of Labor member for Port Adelaide, Rod Sawford.As I've outlined in that posting, Rod's probably not the greatest of members (*ahem*). He's been around since 1988 and I'm sure the first question for many of you when reading this posting was: Who the hell...?
Regardless, he's asking questions in parliament you don't hear much anymore, particularly from the ALP, where you should be. The following speech is probably not really related to issues that concern the good folk of Port Adelaide (ie he doesn't once mention the Power) he's meant to represent, but my hat still goes off to him.
From Thursday, 11 August 2005 Hansard:
What sort of country is Australia becoming? Is Australia becoming a country where the line between religion and state is inviolate? Is Australia becoming a country in which religion will trump science? Is Australia becoming a country in which leaders mobilise deep moral energies that divide us from each other and the world? Is Australia becoming a country in which women will not be allowed control of their own bodies? Is Australia becoming a country that intrudes into people’s sexual preferences? Is Australia becoming a country where religious energy is used in politics to promote division and intolerance? If it is happening, who and whom decided it was on God’s agenda? Is Australia becoming a country in which sectors of the community will be excluded from the political process?...
Examples of the thinking on the government’s side became evident immediately after the last election. Of course, I refer to deliberately raising the issues of abortion and voluntary voting. It has always been a given that, if you want to divide the Australian community, you should introduce the topic of abortion. More responsible and more ethical people would introduce the topic of prevention of unwanted pregnancies. It is a gross irony to observe that the very people who strongly oppose abortion are often exactly the same people who oppose sex education and family planning to prevent unwanted pregnancies...
The introduction of voluntary voting would dramatically reduce the participation of Australians in elections. A more responsible and unifying approach would be to introduce strategies to increase voter participation, not reduce it...
More and more political comment in this country can be sourced back to fewer and fewer people. What passes as analysis is no more than opinion. What passes as current affairs often is no more than entertainment—and gross at that. What passes as political comment is nothing more than spear throwing for selective power bases and individuals who are adept at manipulation of the truth and resistant to representative democracy...
There is a dilemma in political commentary: there is an ever decreasing number of powerful politicians and powerful people on all sides of politics who spend an inordinately large amount of time with fewer and fewer senior journalists ripe for political seduction, spinning information devoid of any analysis or national interest whatsoever...
A bit depressing when it's all condensed into one speech like this, but so utterly and completely true, every word. I wish he'd done more to explicitly identify Labor's role in all these tribulations, not just the Coalition's, but I imagine it would be a cold day in Hell before we heard any sort of speech like this from the Other Side...
posted by Sam @ Wednesday, August 17, 2005
4 Comments:
What I wouldn't give to hear those words out of Beasley's mouth. He might as well say something like it, his rating couldn't go much lower. You realize that "Nice Rod" will probably be burnt at the stake for this. JT.
Well said Rod, as China appears to be ahead of Australia on homosexuality information. A Chinese Universtity is offering a course on Homosexuality.
www.xinhuanet.com
I think bazza has offered us an excellent resource page on Chinese gay issues.
My Chinese, though, is a bit rusty.
Ni Hao!
...Love Rod Sawford, he's not just a pretty face. In fact.....
But he is right about the poverty of original commentary and analysis.
Stephen. On the Chinese site did you click on "English" top left of page then click on "Education"
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