Of the many politicians I meet in the course of my job, half appear utterly dejected. Exhausted. Frustrated by an inability to grab voters’ attention. Deflated after being on the receiving end of relentless personal attacks. Annoyed by their failure to make progress.
Politics is tough and demanding work when it is done with the passion we are entitled to expect from our elected representatives. Those who exhibit the highest levels of dedication also tend to sacrifice the most in their personal and family lives for the betterment of our country or state, and they deserve our gratitude.
Their performance is consistently open to public critique in a way that few can sympathise with. Job security is poor. There’s regular travel. Long hours.
Why anyone would subject themselves to this kind of life, I’m not sure. Most could find more lucrative and less stressful jobs in the private sector.
But I’m thankful there are those who take up the challenge. Elected representatives who, in the face of immense scrutiny from outlets such as ours (for which we make no apology) keep turning up for work and doing what they think is in the best interest of their constituents.
There are those who prefer to serve the best interests of their parties or themselves, of course, but in my experience these people are fewer in number than those aspiring to govern for the right reasons. It seems, however, that many Australians disagree with me on that.
Recent polling from The Age’s Resolve Political Monitor, backed up by findings from other outlets, shows many are looking for something different from their leaders. They are sending them a message that the status quo is unacceptable. Many voters are saying they want to try something new, in the form of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.
Today, however, there are promising signs from the traditional parties of government in Victoria that they are listening to the concerns of voters, and might just be willing to engage in serious discussion about issues of great concern to this state. That is, the kind of public discussion on difficult issues that might convince the public that their ruling class truly cares about good government.
Both Premier Jacinta Allan and Opposition Leader Jess Wilson today put forward their responses to The Age’s reporting on systemic corruption affecting the state government’s Big Build transport projects. Australia’s leading investigative reporter Nick McKenzie, with the help of Chip Le Grand, Lachlan Abbott and Kieran Rooney, this week brought to light further damning allegations of corruption flourishing in the taxpayer-funded scheme right under the government’s nose. They showed how taxpayers’ money was finding its way to the pockets of underworld figure Mick Gatto and applied scrutiny to the government’s response to those revelations.
In her piece, Allan apologises for the corruption, violence and criminality that infected the Big Build under her watch. Wilson outlines her plan to hold a royal commission and grant the corruption watchdog, IBAC, the ability to more easily hold public hearings and broaden its investigative scope by altering its definition of corruption. Chip Le Grand and Kieran Rooney today reported that momentum is building inside the Victorian Labor Party for a royal commission into corruption on the Big Build.
Whether you agree with the leaders’ respective approaches, they deserve plaudits for putting themselves forward and giving you the opportunity to reach an informed conclusion. We should be grateful they are actively taking part in the difficult conversation we need to have if Victorians are going to get the solutions they deserve to the crisis on the Big Build. Corruption-busting lawyer Geoffrey Watson, SC, estimates corruption on Big Build projects has cost Victorian taxpayers $15 billion.
Highlighting the seriousness of the challenge is McKenzie’s latest story on an alarming security breach at the CFMEU administration that has put people in danger.
So while the job of a politician might be hard – and I do think we should consider ways to make it a more attractive option for our best and brightest – we make no apologies for being tough on our politicians and scrutinising their decisions on your behalf. We do so without fear or favour. That is the best means we have of holding our leaders accountable and ensuring you, our subscribers, get the good government you deserve.
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