Blog

posted: 25 August 2010

http://electiondebates.files.

Miriam Eryan

With the election looming, tough decisions are before us? Will Australia vote for a woman, simply based on her gender or will they vote for a former priest in Speedos because of his ability to tell the ‘truth’ (only in hindsight) – he admits that the truth is a flexible commodity in politics, partial truths are acceptable – lucipher is at hand…

On policies, Tony Abbott thinks women should learn domesticity, he’ll even give you a raise for it – with a promise to raise parental leave schemes to $2.7 billion – working women across the nation; your mission, if you choose to accept, is to create that Australian master race…. There are no medals for it though, just a small pay rise which you’ll no doubt spend on diapers, cleaning up the ‘mess’ – maybe Abbott’s as well.

Julia brings female empathy to the table, promising to reduce living costs – unless you’re a miner, in which case, your raised taxes are our gain.

The pendulum swings from labor to liberal, as indecisive as the Australian people when both parties discuss immigration. While Abbott would like to reduce immigration and ‘turn the boats around,’ Ms Gillard is in seemingly empty negotiations with East Timor to open up a refugee centre on their shores.

At least we’ll all be breathing a little easier, with both parties aiming to invest in the reduction of greenhouse gases by 2020. Climate change exists in policy at least, even if Abbott formerly called the environmental phenomenon “bullshit.”

If the environment is getting us sick, at least there’s Gillard’s promise to increase doctors and nurses by 3000 over the next decade. Tony Abbott promises more beds but is short on ideas for more doctors and nurses to treat the sick.

Basically, if you’re not a miner, plan on having children, never get sick, don’t have family overseas and don’t care about climate change, then you’ve got nothing to worry about. The nation, this morning, is equally divided on the superficial promises of our politicians. While Gillard stresses that Labor “can and will” deliver, the winner will be the lesser of two evils.

Perhaps we’ll let the election echidna decide.