Keating the Musical

This is not a political post. You can like Keating the Musical no matter what side of the fence you sit on, but I get a bit idealistic at the best of times…

Thanks to JR, I’ve just been exposed to ‘Keating the Musical’ which is a great story and picture of the Australian federal political scene in the ‘90s. There was great comedy with Kernot and Evan’s duet, great satire with Howard’s songs, but the part that touched me the most was Paul Keating singing ‘The Light on the Hill.’

They're counting up the votes across Australia
This time it seems the verdict is severe
Swan, McEwen, Fadden, Dickson,
Bass and Paterson and Kingston
But it's Oxley with the message, loud and clear

The Light on the Hill – From Keating the Musical

I remember watching the ’96 election, seeing 29 seats change hands from the red to blue, and hearing those words be put into Keating’s mouth, makes it so very poignant.

Also knowing where the eight electorates mentioned are and knowing the history of McEwen and Oxley, I think probably makes the song more moving for me than possibly others.

There are 150 seats in the lower house, I could name a fair few, and tell you where others are if you tell me the names, but I think that most Australians just do not know what their electorate is, yet alone the others around it.

But still I dream

That the stars will be aligning

As our fates are intertwining

Until every heart is shining with goodwill

Shining like the light on the hill,

Shining like the light on the hill.

I’ll dream of the day that 150 members can work together and not fight like spoilt children. I’ll dream of a day, when the political map of Australia is full of many colours, especially greens, reds, yellows, blues and greys. Until every heart is shining with goodwill.

You can sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow too.

May you live in interesting times.

May you live in interesting times.

In my 28 years of life I have voted in three different Federal Electorates; Chisholm, McEwen and Scullin. In the senate I have voted above the line and below the line at times. I have voted for the Liberals, the Labor Party, the Greens and Independents. And each election I have watched the count and gone to bed knowing who is governing my country.

And now…

We have a hung Federal Parliament. We have four independents Tony Windsor, Rob Oakeshott, Bob Katter and Andrew Wilkie. A Green in Melbourne and WA National Tony Crook. No one knows who will form government but it is interesting that all the Former National/Country party people are saying that Braodband is an important area, along with Health and Education.

Listening to Tony, Rob and Bob on election night, on The Press Club, and through the media over the past week I am very impressed with all of their performances. And I find myself partly dismayed with the performance of certain sections of the media.

I do not agree with all of their views, but I admire the way that they have carried out their proceedings over the past days.

I do not agree with all of Bob Katter’s views, but I take offence at the media painting Mr Katter as an alien, or an American cowboy with no insight or understanding of Australia. Having friends in the country, working on farms whilst trying to survive I know that there are different issues facing country Australia than the issues here in Melbourne and I admire Bob Katter for being able to speak for country Australia and being able to highlight these issues despite persecution. Especially as the National Party, the Labor Party and the Liberal party have been ignoring country Australia for decades.

Reading Emma Rodgers article at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/30/2996808.htm the National Party is meeting in Canberra to consider what they will demand in a Coalition government. Why didn’t they do this before? Why don’t they do this every three years?

On a similar topic I like Rob Oakeshott’s idea of a Unity Government, one where members of parliament, all 150, all work together for the betterment of Australia. I would wholly support my member of parliament, the honourable member for Chisholm supporting such a government. Can I please also be the first to nominate Rob Oakeshott for Prime Minister so that we can move forwards with real action.





"If it's up to me, then the gong goes to whoever's going to give us the right to survive and I couldn't care less whether they're the Labor Party, the Liberal Party or the callithumpian mongoloid party." - Bob Katter

A week ago a Google search shows about 500 results for Callithumpian Mongoloid Party, a search now shows about 1280 results.

The Speech

(Note: I grew up near Marysville)

Not all politicians are elegant speakers, this speech from the Deputy Primister of Australia, The Honurable Julia Gillard MP had me in tears. For the full speech please go to the official Australian Government website:

http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Speeches/Pages/Article_090209_172757.aspx



Mr Speaker

I offer the deepest and most sincere condolences of this House and our Nation’s Parliament to those families suffering most, to the communities lost and to a State that will never be the same.

A tragedy beyond belief, beyond precedent and beyond words.

The 7th of February 2009 will now be remembered as one of the darkest days in Australia’s peacetime history.

The beautiful towns and hamlets of Kinglake, Marysville and Narbethong are no more.

At least 640 homes and their irreplaceable contents – like the photographs of children and memories of family life – have been destroyed.

The weekend’s fires and particularly February 7 2009 is surely Victoria’s blackest time.

While it does not yet have a tragic name, it is blacker than the human tragedies of Black Friday of 1939 and Ash Wednesday of 1983.

And in this dark time, there has been a human cost without comparison.

February 7th 2009 will be remembered as the day when more than 400 fires burnt across the State during the most severe weather conditions recorded.

It will be a day remembered for the lives lost – 107 at last count – and families and communities changed forever.

It will be remembered as the day when fires raged across the State – from Horsham in the West, Bendigo and Beechworth in the North, and in an arc of destruction from West Gippsland to Kinglake and Kilmore.

It will be remembered as a day of tragedy, courage and sheer luck.

Writing Month

Not only is it National Story Writing Month, but it is also National Blog Writing Month. Or so I hear. Can you write a blog a day for all of November, I certainly can not. Plus I’ve missed 15 days.

I had fun in the first week of November. First there was the Spring Racing Carnival where horses run around in circles and people wear weird clothes and get drunk and throw-up all over other people’s shoes on the trains home.

My horse came last which is excelent! It is a long running tradition.

I just don’t understand why women wear high heel shoes when they can not either balance or walk in them. Do people practice walking in heels? Oh well, just another mystery of life.

Then there was a certain election somewhere. I spent the entire afternoon watching two news websites watching the states turn either blue or red, it was fun. Then I got to listen to the speeches of defeat and victory. I tell you what, they were both very very impressive. A lot better than the speeches our oz pollies do.

But what I thought was interesting was how after voting the Americans did not want to go to work. They wanted to party and watch the count. Which is what we do here.

I love our system where we vote on a Saturday (or is it a Sunday, I cant remember) there is always a BBQ whilst you are waiting. Or a craft stall, raising money for a local school or scouts group or something. And then people go home and catch up with friends and family. And at the closing of the poles you put the count up on the telly.

I also like how it is compulsory to turn up on voting day. To me I think it is a democratic duty. However it is your democratic right to vote for Donald Duck.