Exactly. While I may have sympathies for the general policies of the ALP , I could never join the Party because of the browbeating by union heavies and their distrust of anyone who doesn't have "the right stuff" according to them which means going through the process of being union organisers and climbing that particular tree. They don't even let people in unless they are union members.
So inclusive, not.
Politics has gone the way of many other careers that were referred to as "callings" eg nursing, teaching etc, it is now about what people can get out of it, rather than what they can give to it IMO.
They can't even get consensus amongst themselves, without dragging it out into the public arena, how the hell do they expect to bipartisan agreement.
Both sides are as bad and it boils down to the fact there aren't common goals to further Australia's cause, there are only personal goals, which involves keeping the paypacket and the perks IMO.
Politics is attracting, exactly the opposite type of person, it needs to attract IMO. A third want to be movie stars, another third want to sit down the back and say FA and the rest are trying to keep their $hit together and work out a plan then implement it and hope it's right before the next election. ?
There is a reason that some really good politicians pull the pin when they are at their prime, dealing with the rest of them must do their heads in, much easier just to leave and go into the private sector, more money, less crap and if the idiot sitting next to you is useless they are sacked rather than having to be voted out.
Some that come to mind are Crean, Ferguson, Costello, Wyatt, Gillard.
It is really coming to the fore in State politics IMO, like the guy from Tassie, everyone is shocked, he's doing a great job, apparently on top of his game then pulls up stumps. Why? because he is probably sick of the nonsense that is probably happening behind the scenes.
Same in W.A Barnett was a one man band, why because probably no one else in the team new how to play an instrument, he left and the Liberals in W.A are still lost in the wilderness, no one even knows the leader ATM.
McGowan, ask any person on the street to name another W.A labor member and they wouldn't be able to, that probably goes back to what we are talking about, most in there are useless.
The Premier has to be the treasurer, the only one who can talk on t.v because he knows he's surrounded by muppets, he can't delegate anything and has to be overseeing everything IMO.
That becomes wearing on a person and their family, especially these days where we have 24hour news and tag team reporters trying to blow your feet off.
This isn't party specific, it is politics in general
All just my opinion as usual. Anyway I had better get off politics, i'll lift a safety v/v.