“A vote for Nick Xenophon is a vote for all the of the uncertainty of a Greens/Labor/Xenophon/independent alliance. There is a clear choice.”
So said Malcolm Turnbull in the lead-up to Saturday’s poll, raising the terrifying spectre of the Gillard 2010 minority government. Now, of course, Xenophon is Turnbull’s best friend, as both sides court the potential kingmaker to form government.
But were the Gillard years really so bad? By some measures, Gillard was Australia’s most productive prime minister, passing the most legislation per day in office. From 2010-2013 Labor passed the Gonski funding for schools and the important National Disability Insurance Scheme. The Gillard government also raised the tax-free threshold to $18,000 and set up the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse.
So maybe having to negotiate with independents and a crossbench who are not necessarily your political bedfellows is not a bad thing. After all, having a massive majority and compliant Senate allowed John Howard to bring in WorkChoices and run roughshod over the opposition. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to have to negotiate every bill, and as Gillard proved, it can be extremely productive. Whatever happens over the next three years, we certainly live in interesting times.
“But were the Gillard years so bad.” No they were not bad. Just as you say; the Gillard Govt’s record as a minority government was highly productive passing in excess of 600 items of legislation with measured assistance of Senate Independents. So if the current/’past’ Abbott/Turnbull government has their knickers in a knot about lying opponents they, and the entire print media, need take a considered look over their shoulders to reflect upon how ‘corporately’ they’ve lied to and mislead the electorate over each and every year since Gillard was forced through sustained lying . . . . from Office. This countries political elites are a disgrace!
Passing 800 items of legislation is not necessarily the sign of a good government; it just adds to the complexity of our lives. It would be better if governments repealed at least as many items as they passed. I would much rather have government ministers administering their departments well than dreaming up new boondoggles.
In the case of forming minority government if anyone could negotiate with independents & minor parties it would be Shorten (after all, this was his career & his forte).
However, this hung parliament headache is of Turnbull’s & the Coalition’s making & they should suffer the consequences until its natural conclusion. Perhaps there is someone on the Coalition front bench who can negotiate, Turnbull would have some clues about the necessary skills but I suspect endemic arrogance is going to be their downfall when trying to curry favour with independents etc.
A Turnbull/whoever government won’t have the numbers to pass any dire or controversial legislation so the nation will come through this reasonably undamaged.
Meantime Shorten & the ALP can consolidate their plan for Australia & reap the rewards at the next election – which will probably be sooner than later. Cool your heels, Bill, all that’s required is patience.
Which independent would trust an agreement with Libs?
In the 43rd Parliamen (2010-2013), the House of Representatives worked exactly as it was designed to do. Elected members negotiated to pass legislation. People were surprised because they were used to it acting as a rubber stamp for the executive Government.
The major problem during those years was not the ‘hung Parliament’. Other successful democracies, especially those with proportional or MMP systems, deal with it all the time. And of course, nearly all Australian Governments have to negotiate their legislation through a diverse Senate. No, the problem was a feral Opposition, aided and abetted by equally feral allies in the media and business, determined to render the 43rd Parliament unworkable in the hope of bringing down a Government that didn’t suit their interests.
Well, the Gillard years were not, as you say, unproductive. They were not even all that chaotic, although a ruthlessly negative opposition made for a bit of drama but never put a no confidence motion to parliament. The most chaotic bit was the appointment of Peter Slipper as speaker, who was brought down with some well timed leaks.
Nasty press leads were par for the course, largely because the Murdoch media set out to destroy both the Rudd and Gillard governments who, contrary to Rupert’s put the rich first beliefs, used investment to keep the economy out of recession and build infrastructure under the global financial crisis. The Murdoch media was helped only by some hands off mismanagement of the pink bats scheme and leaks from Rudd, in revenge for being deposed by Gillard. Nevertheless, Murdoch succeeded in leaving behind a widespread belief that the school upgrade scheme was a failure, although it was in fact overwhelmingly successful, with the exception only of NSW, where it was still largely successful.
Still, we have to ask whether the very funny cartoon showing Turnbull’s plan of getting a truck out of a jam between walls by driving back and forth.
There was a lot of crap generated by the Limited News Party – now Malcolm’s buzzing around from turd to turd trying to convince everyone else it was someone else’s fault?