Blight On The Hill?
September 9, 2000
A scathing article by Mike Seccombe in today's Sydney Morning Herald excoriates Australia's federal politicians, describing the Liberal government as mean-minded lawyers, social regressives and economic Darwinists, and the Labor opposition as goalless union hacks, soulless factional cyphers and a smattering of effete do-gooders.
Seccombe compares the Opposition frontbench unfavourably with the ALP cabinet in the Bob Hawke years from 1983. Citing people like Hawke, Paul Keating, Barry Jones, Gareth Evans, John Button, John Dawkins, Neal Blewett, Ralph Willis and Brian Howe, Seccombe argues that there are few original ideas emanating from the ALP at present.
He argues that Beazley's office is staffed with people who are "smart, but cautious and pragmatic", and suggests that the resignation of former Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Daryl Melham, on a matter of principle concerning ALP policy on native title, points to the conservative, soundbite-obsessed, poll-driven, short-term preoccupations of today's political participants.
Seccombe says these are "people whose prime concern is not frightening the horses, people more concerned with short-term perception than long-term policy."
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