Regarding the current group of independents, all deserve credit for winning seats against entrenched Government Ministers in the Coalition.
As you note though, the theory of change for a Spender, Steggall or Chaney is less clear. If it is about the ‘acceptable face of capitalism’ we had that with the mythical ‘moderate’ liberal which was more about social policy than anything that challenged neoliberalism.
This sounds like the ‘Change UK’ splinter group that appeared in the final stages of the 2019 UK Parliament where the only thing uniting them was a ‘centrist’ support of the EU.
Even in terms of the current budget and Labor’s proposed tax changes, and One Nation’s polling support, it seems the appetite for the moderate liberal is not there.
If the current independants continue down the path to form a party, they have sold out their electorates and broader supporters. Party politics is not democracy. Only independants elected by their community truly represent their electorate. I have been supporting the ‘Voices of’ movement since Cathy McGowan 1st took Indi. No electorate I have voted in has yet become independant. My hope was , by supporting the concept , change would eventually come. This is disappointing. Democracy is doomed., Billy
Sorry, Joel. You've taken the media construct 'Teals' and mashed the independents into one big homogenous clump of goo. No mention of the changes to the political funding rules. No mention that most of the independents have recommitted to remain as independents, working with their constituencies. Neither Helen Haines nor David Pocock can be lumped in with independents who successfully stood against the rusted-on rump of the old school tie Libs. As independents, they represent their constituencies, so no wonder they have different policy aims and will not always vote as a block. But they join together only when they are aligned on a policy defined by their constituents; they are not a political platform. That's how independent representation works.
A new party sounds like what we need and seems a natural response to the state the two party system finds itself in.
But there are too many differing voices on all of the significant issues within the current group of elected independents.
An alliance of sort may be a better option. Leaving members to more truly represent the wishes of their electorate, but forming separate united and strong blocs on specific policies and voting.
If they become a party, they become accountable to the party and their electorate rather than only the electorate. They lose the beauty of being an independent.
Far and away the most incisive blunt bone-deep analysis of the current situation, its untangled history, its serial betrayals, its covert class privilege scaffolding, and its self-serving plans. Thank you again.
Teals are coincidentally a species of duck and if it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck , it’s a duck.
Has no one told them the techbro’s have now decided to ignore the climate change scam they spent decades virtue signalling about, because (bigger emergency) they need all the available electricity (including yours and mine) to run AI , fuck how it’s generated.
That scam has had it’s day. Good thing they have a plan B , they don’t support corruption.
Of course they don’t (at least not until they become important enough for the Zionist lobby to buy them).
Thank you Joel for this analysis.
Regarding the current group of independents, all deserve credit for winning seats against entrenched Government Ministers in the Coalition.
As you note though, the theory of change for a Spender, Steggall or Chaney is less clear. If it is about the ‘acceptable face of capitalism’ we had that with the mythical ‘moderate’ liberal which was more about social policy than anything that challenged neoliberalism.
This sounds like the ‘Change UK’ splinter group that appeared in the final stages of the 2019 UK Parliament where the only thing uniting them was a ‘centrist’ support of the EU.
Even in terms of the current budget and Labor’s proposed tax changes, and One Nation’s polling support, it seems the appetite for the moderate liberal is not there.
If the current independants continue down the path to form a party, they have sold out their electorates and broader supporters. Party politics is not democracy. Only independants elected by their community truly represent their electorate. I have been supporting the ‘Voices of’ movement since Cathy McGowan 1st took Indi. No electorate I have voted in has yet become independant. My hope was , by supporting the concept , change would eventually come. This is disappointing. Democracy is doomed., Billy
Sorry, Joel. You've taken the media construct 'Teals' and mashed the independents into one big homogenous clump of goo. No mention of the changes to the political funding rules. No mention that most of the independents have recommitted to remain as independents, working with their constituencies. Neither Helen Haines nor David Pocock can be lumped in with independents who successfully stood against the rusted-on rump of the old school tie Libs. As independents, they represent their constituencies, so no wonder they have different policy aims and will not always vote as a block. But they join together only when they are aligned on a policy defined by their constituents; they are not a political platform. That's how independent representation works.
A new party sounds like what we need and seems a natural response to the state the two party system finds itself in.
But there are too many differing voices on all of the significant issues within the current group of elected independents.
An alliance of sort may be a better option. Leaving members to more truly represent the wishes of their electorate, but forming separate united and strong blocs on specific policies and voting.
If they become a party, they become accountable to the party and their electorate rather than only the electorate. They lose the beauty of being an independent.
I think Zoe Daniels lost he seat because of her stance on the Gaza War unlike Tim Wilson's grovelling stance to the local "community".
Far and away the most incisive blunt bone-deep analysis of the current situation, its untangled history, its serial betrayals, its covert class privilege scaffolding, and its self-serving plans. Thank you again.
Teals are coincidentally a species of duck and if it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck , it’s a duck.
Has no one told them the techbro’s have now decided to ignore the climate change scam they spent decades virtue signalling about, because (bigger emergency) they need all the available electricity (including yours and mine) to run AI , fuck how it’s generated.
That scam has had it’s day. Good thing they have a plan B , they don’t support corruption.
Of course they don’t (at least not until they become important enough for the Zionist lobby to buy them).