Three years, two prime ministers later we finally have an(other) official election campaign. Both sides have been maintaining the rage, in a hung parliament that has been nothing if not amusing to watch. The rage, unfortunately, has/is generating a growing fatigue and cynicism within the electorate. This exhaustion extends to popular sentiment towards the ALP: their sheer desperation and lack of a coherent national vision other than scare tactics, division, and blatant lies about the potential of a Coalition government. There is a better way for the nation to go. Here, I detail a bit of policy that the Coalition is proposing that is important to youth.
Barely a day goes by without a news item involving asylum seekers. It is the position of the Coalition that these boat people are illegal entries; they possess no identification and enter our sovereign territories without permission (i.e. visa). I would like to remind readers that it is because of Rudd and Labor’s ‘compassionate’ change of heart in 2008 that dismantled policy settings that inhibited the people smuggling trade and lead to our current untenable predicament. How many tragedies does it take for a government to admit it was wrong? The Left should hang their heads in shame after the accusations of cruelty directed at the Howard government for ending the boat tragedies via the Pacific Solution, yet there’s complete silence from the grief industry when Labor opens the floodgates. As the famous proverb goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. The Coalition will seek to reintroduce temporary protection visas (TPVs), tow back boats into international waters when safe, re-establish a regional framework, and work within source countries to gather intelligence on people smuggling operations. We all hope this evil trade will be inhibited by a firmer policy framework. It will be no instant fix, but a move in the right direction to gain control over our borders once more. As a sovereign nation we have every right to protect our borders from unwanted arrivals, regardless of what the Julian Burnsides of the world say.
Labor’s carbon tax was meant to be the saviour of the planet – to help pull back damaging ‘global warming’ (or is it ‘climate change’?).
However, ask how much global temperatures will be affected by the carbon tax and you’ll get excuses. The Coalition has a two-pronged approach to its environmental policy. Abbott’s proposed Green Army will employ volunteers from communities to tidy up creeks, streams and bush land. It’s a beautiful conservative idea, to preserve and renew the natural beauty that is so unique about Australia’s for future generations. Second is the Direct Action Plan, whereby Coalition will invest in technologies designed to improve carbon dioxide capture methods. An example would be to capture carbon dioxide within soil, and improve agricultural crop yields.
Our economy has experienced record terms of trade over the last 4 years, and Government revenue has increased significantly, yet the rate of growth is slowing and interest rates are coming down and this is a bad sign. Labor’s addiction to spending and ridiculous taxes has put us at a cross road. Do we continue on a path of high government spending and record debt, or rein in the debt before it gets ahead of us?
The Coalition are contemplating setting up special economic zones in Northern Australia and turning them into a food bowl to improve our food security. This will bring job opportunities, create new communities and create a product that will have immense export potential for a growing middle class in Asia who will pay for quality goods. A policy recently pinched by Rudd without any consultation with the NT government.
Furthermore, the coalition has stated on numerous occasions that they will lower income and business taxes and decrease regulation and government expenditure. This goes to a core belief of the coalition: individuals are better placed to know how their money is best spent, so they should have a greater share of what is rightfully theirs. This is inextricably linked to the pledge to create one million jobs. In getting government out of the way, businesses large and small will feel that they can again invest in their operations, and enable job opportunities to flourish. This too will enable people to be freed from the welfare trap, which only gets harder when social welfare becomes culturally entrenched.
What I believe has yet to be articulated by the Liberals at this stage of the campaign is a strong coherent vision of the future. The party faithful know what it is: a renewed sense of national pride, a united Australia that isn’t divided into competing subsections. A secure nation with a coherent identity, a reinvigorated economy and confidence in the future: this is the Coalition’s vision – but to get the mandate they need for sweeping changes that are desperately required, it must be clearly articulated. There is no doubt the Coalition will win this election – it’s now just a case of by how much, and what sentiment follows. Will it be renewed faith in pragmatic governance of the nation with a shared vision for the future, or a continued perpetuation of the nasty politicking we have witnessed over the last 6 years? Tony Abbott has been growing in confidence and will grow into the role as prime minister but only time will tell what becomes of the Coalition Government.
