Comments on: Question time: The classical philosophy edition

By: Andrew E

Andrew E — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:04:22 +0000

Historically there’s a lot of reinforcement for that, Mark. It’s just that the last time Teh Establishment had any real sort of sway as you describe was the ’70s. It wouldn’t have been a quote from Whitlam himself (at Canberra Grammar, Knox College, USyd law & the Sydney bar he’d have seen the whites of their eyes) but it is a constant theme for those who keen for him. If Keating had complained about the serried etc. in 1996 it would have been an utter joke, and if Rees does the same over the next eighteen months he’ll have even less credibility than he does now.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:02:31 +0000

Andrew, that’s not a quote from Whitlam, that’s me. And most of Howard’s small biz, salt of the earth types are gone. I don’t think thinktankers, merchant bankers, and staffers, and lawyers are exactly the same thing – if you have a bit of a squizzy at the sort of Liberal currently being preselected, or going for preselection. But that wasn’t the whole of my point – the conservative parties in Australia have always regarded Labor victories as somehow an aberration.

By: Andrew E

Andrew E — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:16:37 +0000

Mark, it was all very well for Whitlam to complain about “the serried and suited ranks of those who see themselves as the country’s natural rulers”, but the last 20 years have seen the decline of said group to irrelevance. Turnbull learned his arrogance not at the Melbourne Club, but at the feet of the boorish and banal Kerry Packer. The people you describe mostly left the national stage with Malcolm Fraser, and Kroger did for any stragglers in 1990.

Howard built a constituency on the back of nondescript people from nondescript schools, nondescript backgrounds and nondescript jobs. For God’s sake, you’re a Queenslander: do you think Joh was some sort of bunyip aristo? I despair for Labor’s prospects of renewal.

What’s happening to Turnbull, Bishop, Abbott et al is no more than what happened to the likes of Gareth Evans (Melbourne Uni, QC) or Kim Beazley (scion of, with the work ethic of Peter Costello) in about 1997, when he realised he wasn’t going to slide back behind the ministerial desk with a self-satisfied “now, where was I?”. Yes, it was a while ago, but it’s amazing that you’ve forgotten that but are able to lurch back to the ’70s and talk about born-to-rule. Look at NSW Labor, if you dare, in office for 60 of the past 80 years, and STFU about born-to-rule.

As to Question Time: parliamentary theatre is bullshit. It’s a monkey show, a huge public turn-off; smart marginal seat MPs should sit there with their heads in their hands, walk out, or hold up signs saying “It’s nothing to do with me”. There hasn’t been a Question Time of genuine national importance since 1975.

By: tssk

tssk — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:53:26 +0000

Sounds good Fran. I have no doubt that when the Coalition gets in it would be changed back but we could get on with business in the meantime.

By: Fran Barlow

Fran Barlow — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:38:28 +0000

tssk@16

An alternative would be to move suspension of standing orders to allow ministers to get their statements off their chests (ideally as 3-5 minute statements) and then move on.

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:33:07 +0000

My 4 Y.O. and I saw some question time on the ABC news last week, now he’s marching about shouting “Awdah! AWW-DAAAAGH!”

By: tssk

tssk — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:42:34 +0000

I think Rudd needs to help out by stopping his ministers from asking ‘Dorothy Dixers’ which just waste everyone’s time.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:54:03 +0000

I believe Howard was a stickler for keeping the answers short and some of his were only one word.

I haven’t listened much lately but heard a bit the other day and thought it the worst I’d ever heard. It was very much the Opposition’s doing. The Speaker made one minister withdraw a not too outrageous remark, which would never have happened in Howard’s day.

It was said that we had genuine orators in the past with wit and eloquence, Killen, for example, but that might be overrated and I’m not sure they were often employed in QT because I didn’t have time to listen. Certainly, I think PJK was adept at phrases that were repeatable in a grab in the evening news, as Gillard is now.

By: Andos

Andos — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:25:25 +0000

@10: Question time is not a representative sample of the proceedings of Parliament.

By: Adrien

Adrien — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:57:42 +0000

I think that parliament is almost perfect. We should keep the standing orders as they are. But we need just one innovation.
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Naturally we the voters are the ones who get to press the buttons.