If couutries get the politicians they deserve, then Australia is no longer the ” Lucky Country”, with the electorate declaring ” a plague on both your houses.”

The Coalition roll out of policies and spending was a litany of disaster  – against a deteriorating society backdrop of the unrepresented and underprivileged, with “street” people proliferating, homelessness a way of life, the mentally ill abandoned, rising social tensions and charities overburdened, Turnbull and his team went awol –   an innovation, jobs and growth mantra that had the consistency of verbal diarrhoea, promising $100m to a sports stadium in Townsville, only to be used 13 times a year,  tennis complexes in affluent Melbourne etc, while the Treasurer treated electors as morons by disclosing late in the campaign he was financing this and other expenditure via reducing welfare fraud by $Bns- what’s next, a future entry tax for visitors from Mars to balance the books..

In contrast, Bill Shorten had an effective but cynical outing – no more needs to be said about the medicare scare, but his pursuit of the LGBT vote, via labelling  Christians with convictions , who are within their rights to tolerate but not promote, as closet “homophobes” was disgraceful; no candle is held here for the Treasurer, but he has a right to “call” the toxic trolls who blight his and his family’s personal life. Labour held their nerve for 4-5 weeks, but then scuttled down the gutters.

With 25% of the vote going outside the political elite of the main political parties,  a “previously silent” minority outed their anger and frustration at their lot-  concerns as to employment prospects in the face of relentless globalisation and robotisation , investment in education for the  future of their families, societal values and liberties and a quality of life going backwards .

Regretfully, the ” silent majority” votes are misplaced – One Nation and NXT parties’ agendas lack balance and credibility – NXT has no national remit, essentially positioned to  extract from taxpayers outside SA to further increase the burden of implicit transfer payments to that state, while the One Nation party overwhelming focus on restraining immigration will exacerbate the current social and economic malaise for many voters.

The angst and inequities driving the election outcomes require policy stances that cut completely across the political spectrum and the historic left, centre and right wing labels, essentially a balanced, credible agenda for a new political order;  for starters ;

Taxation – PAYG rates are way too high, Business rates are fine for the moment , post FTCs, with dentists , doctors and lawyers to the fore at the trough, Blind Freddie knows prescribing negative gearing will place property on equitable basis v other investments, super reforms need to be implemented and, probably never in a 3 year election cycle, capital transfer tax on death  needs to be reintroduced to reincentvise future generations – the wealthy make out like bandits currently, with accumulated wealth not taxed at all, while workers, creating income and future wealth, are caned for 40% +.

Skills – Private schools discriminate at birth, with an innovative, high skills society a mirage to many at state schools, especially for children of first generation migrants. Many state schools are currently ” holding areas” for children who don’t want to be there , a social “timebomb”, with  teachers bearing the brunt. An educational ” revolution ” is required, with “outside the box” thinking  – ” hot desk ” sites are embraced to seek to skill the workforce of the future, incentives are in place for attendance and commitment, with performance recalibrated to meet these skills needs. The current , disgraceful, tertiary educational structure, whereby “mickey mouse” colleges chase government or offshore money, frequently  a backdoor immigaration route, redolent with undisclosed fees and commissions, needs to be cleaned up once and for all,

Society – Freedom of expression values and cultures , intrinsic to a liberal, democratic Australia, are to be safeguarded within an umbrella that prohibits racial, gender and religious hatred. Satire, parody and fun need to be reintroduced to Australian society, with causing offence not a hanging matter and equal freedoms and tolerances to be prescribed for all sections of society; tolerance. a virtue in its own right, is distinct from approval or promotion,

30 of the 150 electorates change hands with a swing of 3% or less, effectively deciding elections, and leaving  key lobby groups such as LGBT and religious bodies, as pivotal to outcomes and courted by the current political parties . Effectively . democracy, rule by the wishes of the majority, is sidelined , as the silent majority vote doesn’t count anymore – hence, they have, and increasingly will,. exercise their vote outside the current political order – a phenomenon displayed on Friday in Australia , and already apparent in the UK and US.

With federal. state and municipal governments frequently subscribing to a culture that spends money like a ” drunken sailor”,  getting government out of the way appears an attractive message . However, reality dictates a more balanced and less idealogical role , unfettered by  slavish historical allegiance  to donors and lobbyists, and with an authentic independent remit,  The alarm bells are ringing for the current political order,  but they’re still in a deep and pervasive slumber