We Know What's Good for You

The problem with making policies these days is that most of the time, the public doesn’t know what’s good for them – and politicians are too busy ‘spinning’ to try and convince them otherwise. The example of nuclear power is topical at the moment, so let me start with that.

Global warming and concern for our environment is no longer the sole domain of hippy’s and Peter Garrett. Increasingly, as drought takes hold, a percentage of the South Pole drifts towards NZ and beers take longer to chill in the esky – more of the public have environmental concerns and want to see action. Ultimately though, the action they want to see is like a scene from the Teletubbies: large green hillsides, full of windmills and pretty flowers, with brightly coloured middle-aged men cavorting around amongst them, gibbering incoherently. Unfortunately, clean energy from wind or solar power is about as far-fetched as this scene and is highly unlikely to be our saviour within the next generation. Still, when confronted with a realistic alternative, like nuclear energy, the same people campaigning for the environment are against harnessing the atom. Now, the adoption of nuclear power is a complicated issue, but my point is this: the public don’t understand the real alternatives and are forcing politicians to take the safe and often wrong options – and Kim Beazley is reveling in it.

Raising taxes is another classic example, where in short, the public want bountiful public services like health and free education – but balk at contributing. Can you recall a politician that ever dared to recommend raising taxes? And yet how often do we see a minute tax rebate around election time? To stop from making a tired point, let me propose the solution. The people in power need to demonstrate, with their actions that they can be trusted to make decisions that contribute to the common good. Raise taxes, and deliver services. Expand the nuclear debate, and help the public understand that it is one of the real alternatives that will help stem the emission of greenhouse gases, on our way to developing clean alternatives. This Administration as we have already demonstrated is not about spin, but an honest appraisal of each issue in turn. The people of this country long for that change.