What is emerging after the Queensland election routing, is the conservatives [Liberal/ National] and mainstream commentators are questioning the way political parties sell their policies and political vision to the public.
It has been suggested that ‘reforms’ are off the agenda because the voters will not accept them – which begs the question, after some analysis what exactly are they talking about?
Essentially, the conservatives wish to impose harsh austerity measures by deceptive means on the most vulnerable and weak in society.
By contrast, social democrats [Labor] soften their policies around the edges, industrial relations stands out, however their record on asylum seekers after the political dog whistling when in government turned out more harsh and inhumane than the conservatives.
What is going on is both major political parties are wedded to the same global political, economic agenda – neo liberalism, which is ensuring that the interests of big business, big capital are secure by creating conditions and policies for economic growth.
This trend has been unfolding for decades; the Hawke and Keating Labor government in 1983 ushered in these so called economic reforms [neo liberalism]
Today we are witnessing the results of these decades’ old policies and practices – accelerating global in equality, where the one per cent own 48 per cent of the whole world’s wealth.
By 2016 it will be more than 50%. By continuing the selling of public assets, services to private companies who make mega profits, in the name of privatisation. This in effect is a cost shifting exercise to the rich and powerful, by governments, abrogating their responsibility to providing quality public owned and operated services to the people..
This is the realpolitik today the tweedle dee, tweedle dumb of the major political parties – Liberal/National and Labor.
Enter, Syriza the alternative progressive political winner in the recent Greek elections. Spain has promised to follow suit, throwing off the austerity measures and debt, imposed savagely on the populations.
These are the political circuit breakers we need to fight the political agenda of the rich and powerful in our world. Until we face this squarely, we will continue to go from crisis to crisis.
A new political energy and strategies with creative thinking is badly needed.
Boyd Kellner, Newrybar
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For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
