Kevin Hillier wonders how to tell politicians they’re hopeless
The old joke was: How can you tell when politiciansare lying? Their lips are moving. Boom, tish! The problem is that between now and the July 2 election we’ll be inundated with promises from both sides of the political fence and we have to work out what to believe.
What a shemozzle all levels of government have become in the past decade. While I won’t tar them all with the same brush, it seems we have some form of controversy every second day surrounding a councillor, state or federal representative or someone who works for them. And even when that’s not the case, they make fools of themselves by not knowing what they’re talking about or getting their facts wrong.
Why do we put up with this level of incompetence in the people we elect? They say that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys, but many of these people are not paid peanuts. They’re well paid and setting themselves up for life with generous super schemes while you and I work our butts off to pay the bills, put our kids through school and have a decent lifestyle. I believe the system has become so bureaucratically manipulated that it is just about impossible for even honest hard-working politicians (I think there still are some) to make change because of party politics and red tape.
Bureaucrats are good at keeping their jobs by making themselves indispensable because nobody can work out how to get things done without them because of the paperwork required to make changes. So we go around in circles and disappear you know where.
The question I ask is simple: Will our votes on July 2 carry any weight at all or is it a waste of time? How do I let all politicians know I’m dissatisfied with the way we’re being run and am not impressed by the alternatives?
Some might argue that an informal vote means you are not endorsing anyone and that’s true. It also means you are forfeiting your right to have a say and your right to criticise any of the parties. An informal vote means you have opted out of your responsibility to make a stand. You have become Switzerland. I welcome your thoughts. ■
If you have any news or events, let me know at kevin@howdypartnersmedia. com.au
