Thursday, September 05, 2013

It's time

Yep, it's that time again.  Time to do our civic duty and roll up on Saturday and scratch a few numbers on a scrap of paper.  That triennial chore done, we'll all have the right to whinge like crazy about whatever we don't like that the new government does.  Or at least that's what some, maybe most, people seem to think.

But I beg to differ from what seems to be this prevailing view of the limits of our obligations as voters and citizens of a democratic state.  I think it's our duty to take an active interest in politics on an ongoing basis; to keep abreast of the developments in Canberra and the reasons for them; to understand the basis of policies and legislation, not just be able to recite, parrot-fashion, the slogans the parties put out for our consumption.

How could we create a society where our observance of democratic ideals was more that a few minutes 'work' with a pencil every three years?  Well, the current group of voters are probably lost to the idea of becoming more involved, unless something will directly affect the price of their house, their job, their local school or hospital etc.   Such is the selfish nature of our society that the 'me, me, me' ethos is all too pervasive.

Most adults in Australia, despite some exposure in school to a subject usually called 'Civics" or similar, do not really understand the vagaries of the preferential voting system or how Parliament 'works'.  How many people on Saturday will vote '1' for the candidate of their choice and then thinking it makes no difference, number the other squares randomly?  If their first choice is a bit-player candidate then their vote will go to either Labor or Liberal/National, depending on which of these two they put above the other.  How many will vote '1' for the candidate they would prefer to win and leave the rest of the squares blank, thereby inadvertently voting informal?   How many will make up their minds between taking a how-to-vote at the polling place gate and entering the polling booth?  Many in my experience.

The answer to this problem of mass ignorance, as in most cases, is in our young people and our schools.  Not only do children have the idealism of youth on their side, they are in large measure untainted by the prejudices that permeate all sides of politics.  A more comprehensive effort to teach our youth the importance of an active engagement in the democratic process and a better understanding of how the voting and Parliamentary systems work would pay huge dividends in better government, albeit in 10 years time.

In the meantime we'll get the government that a largely uninformed and unengaged electorate gives us.  Those of us who actually take an interest will just have to wear it.....and whinge.  At least we'll have earned the right.