The new opportunity of proper distinction now exists. But who, if anyone will take it up?
The chance to develop a platform of distinctively unique WA based representation. The recent 4Corners show titled "Please Explain" opened up a few One Nation cans of worms with many questions left unanswered but among them is who's in charge and who are they serving.
It appeared as though Paul Hanson's One Nation Party is very much the Pauline & James show. Here in WA we have 3 PHON MPs in the Upper House but its been very much Pauline calling the shots. One classic was candidates being told by the party there'd be no preference deal with the Liberals. In a day or so Pauline announced a preference deal.
So here we have a Queensland based politician, who sits in the Federal Senate calling the shots for a political party in WA. No, not unheard of but if there's no separation of states the duty they owe is clouded. Again its not unheard of but the thing is Pauline may have been in Parliament longer than most of us, but she's not exactly a sophisticated statesman. During the Fed & State campaigns she floundered on local issues and the local candidates at times were lost for answers.
Liberals appear to be for Liberals. WA's Fed Liberal MPs are for the federal party and the State Lib MPs are 100% for the WA Liberal Party.
Labor is similar but often to a lesser extent and Nationals to a lesser extent also.
But which will be the first Party in WA to put WA first at both the State & Federal arenas?
At present its likely to be anyone...but not the Liberals.
The Liberal/Labor Duopoly is not an unfair name. Especially as neither has done anything about WA's slice of the GST. Few complaints from state MPs but nothing earth shattering, more hollow platitudes, going through the motions.
The Nats went close with Tony Crook...for a while but now there's no Nats Fed MPs at all.
Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Party has Rick Mazza here and other MPs over east, but the eastern states based members, like Robert Borsak aren't from WA and they don't want to work with the Nationals, they want the Nats out, they want the Nat's seats. Rick has a largely Liberal platform, to the point where some think & refer to the SFFP here as being "Liberals with guns, farmers with fishing rods and just a few toothless bush bogans"
Think its a bit deeper than that, but there's a good deal of fact underpinning it.
What we're going to need is a party that is not so much a break away party, nor a new party, but one that will plug into the Deplorable, disenchanted mindset and put WA first. Its very hard for the Duopoly, they're very much tied to the east. I think its utterly impossible for PHON which only leaves the Nationals & the SFFP.
Chances there? Maybe slim but way better than any of the others. Be good if Nats & SFFP worked together more often.
Time'll tell.
The party that first successfully develops a distinctly WA Bias, a WA Strategy, a WA based strategic bias will be well placed in the next State and/or Fed election.
Yeah, its long time til both elections, lost of water to go under the bridge...or members under the bus in the case of PHON but it would be outstanding to see a party get horribly biased towards WA, very unapologetic about it, if not proudly waving the flag.
Wonder if any party will and who it'll be. Seeing I lost pretty much every bet I thought I'd win on elections past, I'll just go with no party will.
Sorry I just don't think any party in WA should be a sad franchise rules from outside our state...or at least remains quiet when they should be attacking their own MPs in Canberra.
I live in hope. Hope may arrive on the back of a rainbow coloured unicorn ridden by John Belushi in a dinner suit. That latter bit connects the hope with potential chances of happening perhaps.
Hope I get that wrong too
No comments:
Post a Comment