SOS – Save Our Senate (and Fielding’s predicted response)

GetUp have a campaign to launch a new video, essentially asking Australians to help put some backbone back into the senate, which to be frank, has let some pretty bad legislation through (Workchoices, Copyright amendments) without review or a critical eye.

The odd thing is that this add is cross-party; the Greens, the ALP and the Democrats are all participants.

Given Steve Fielding’s apparent sense of entitlement about Labor preferences and cooperation (thanks a heap Vic Labor Unity) exposed in his recent hissy fit against Labor doing preference deals with the Greens (when they are perfectly entitled to do so), I can’t see him being too happy about this little development. Now I guess Fielding will have to go and do a “grubby deal” with the Government.

Quite frankly, I’m happy to see this preference flow to the Greens and seriously lets observe some realpolitik for a moment because it’s pertinent.

Danny Nalliah, ex-Family First candidate, president of Catch the Fire Ministries, pro-active National Day of Thanksgiving participant and active leader within the Australian Christian-Right (of which Family First is a part), the same Danny Nalliah that sought audience with both John Howard and Kevin Rudd, has declared John Howard God’s choice of Prime Minister. Southland International Christian Centre in conjunction with Family First, have declared John Howard a godly man and that God wants who he wants as Prime Minister.

If these are representative of the Christian Right network that Family First is a part of, why on Earth would a Rudd Federal Opposition want to do preference deals with them? Senator Fielding is bonkers if he thinks that Labor is given a good incentive to give preference to Family First in this election, just as he is bonkers if he thinks that Labor has nothing to gain by doing preference deals with the Greens.

So what is he saying? That preference deals are inherently dirty? Family First does preference deals. That would be like a confession.

In any case, Fielding is opposed to Gay marriage and while not openly admitting it, does mix religion with his politics. That being the case, being left with a preference deal with the Federal Government should be attractive. They have the likes of Alex Hawke (thanks to AV for the link) and Peter Curtis who also like to mix religion and politics and discriminate against gay couples. Let Family First do preference deals with them.

Despite such cosy ideological parings, I predict that Family First is going to bang on about Labor-Greens preferences at least until the election (and longer if they get no seats).

In any case, the senate isn’t all about preference deals and bratty MPs. The senate, as often commented, is a house of review. It checks for unintended loopholes, unpredicted side-effects and so on to legislation that the lower house may not have considered. The senate is supposed to do the critical debate that is either neglected or passed on by the lower house.

A scenario where the minor parties have the balance of power is an excellent bulwark against the extremes of the ideology of the Government of the day, the prejudices that make the Government forgo critical analysis. We lost this last election and Steve Fielding hasn’t really been of much help in facilitating debate. He’s pretty much been “yes”, “no” or “I’ll tell you if I’m yes or no later on”.

Moreover, he’s willing to put the needs of his party before the needs of the senate. He wants a Family First balance of power. The Greens and the Democrats however seem quite happy to overlook their conflicting political needs in order to make sure that the senate has balance, even if it means neither of them by themselves have the balance of power.

That’s the campaign of people who value the role of the senate. A pity that Fielding, as a senator, couldn’t rise above the din of preferences to the senate a favour.

So when you next hear Fielding banging on about preferences, just remember that its a red herring by way of hissy fit. Consider Family First’s dedication to the senate, and compare it to that demonstrated by the Greens, the Dems and Labor, not forgetting to consider the occasional independent candidate as well.

A senate with the balance given to Family First is not a senate that will act as a critical house of review, rather just a rubber stamp and deal-broker for the ideological preferences of Family First able to be shared with the government of the day, whomever that may be.

~ Bruce