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Come on you lot, work harder, longer and
for a lot less |
"Joe!"
"Yes Tony?"
"I have a grand vision for Australia. One where the people we represent can piss from a great height on our indigenous population, disabled, the elderly, students, kids who can't get work, unionists, refugees, migrants, women, artists and families. Have I left anyone out?"
"Public servants?"
"Are they people?"
"Then there are teachers, health care workers, the whole voluntary sector, oh and the state premiers who are all from our mob, but seem to have taken offence. But we can buy them off; once they sort out a big fat state tax such as an increase to their GST."
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| Its our flag people, our issue... |
Welcome to March in May; a people's protest in response to the first budget of the 2013 national liberal coalition government (or as Mr Albanese rightly describes them Tories). There is an old socialist joke about a group of anarchists sitting around the table debating how best to go about destroying the country when one suggests "Vote Tory". And this people seems to be what is in process, although Mr Abbot on our television screens tonight seemed to be implying we should all be jumping for joy to be able to do something to show we are proud little Aussies one and all. After all, it won't bite in any real way for three years...bullshit of the runniest kind and with the shadow of the audit hanging over it, this budget is a nasty piece of social engineering.
In what appears to be an underestimation of the population remaining stuck in being mesmerised by Hockey and co smoke and mirrors approach to communication, the budget has initiated more political discussion across the community than did the election. So, in Sydney, on a bright sunny day more suited to early than late autumn, approximately 20,000 people turned out. The media so far (Sunday-18 May) have put numbers at "thousands" ABC, about ten thousand-but there was many more. Having marched on the 5000 strong International Workers May Day a few weeks back, this was a bigger and more varied representation of the electorate. More youth, which has got to be better. More interesting slogans and banners and for all of the factions present, a coming together, which if it remains cohesive will present a formidable opposition to rule by entitlement.
It was good to be reminded that the brunt of the cuts will savage our indigenous communities and I hope we have the heart to take on their call to join them and stand with them, as in 1972, when students, the unions and the indigenous community stood shoulder to shoulder.
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Great to see the great whites swimming
in from Western Oz -no to culls |
In Belmore Park, youth were in abundance, as were the liberal middle classes who probably marched in 1972 or in protest of the Vietnam War. It is the kind of unity we again need for the fight ahead. So what made people that mad they came out in their thousands on an autumnal Sunday and have prepared costume, banners and slogans? As Sally McManus from the Australian Services Union NSW & ACT said about our prime minister "You are a liar, a wrecker and divider." Watching Mr Abbott in the media this week (post this march) telling everyone the petrol levy is not a tax because the structure was already in place-all he did was activate it, and besides it will all go into roading infrastructure. Yeah right!
Then a bunch of rich men (and a few token women) in suits who received free education, or certainly highly subsidised, are smoking cigars and telling today's students they have to pay much, much more for their education, of course with increased competition, as we know, prices will drop and private providers will be paying students to take their courses. Yeah Right! The vision is a whole generation will be up to their knuckles in debt and may never be able to afford to buy a house in their lifetime. And the elephant in the room? What jobs? What levels of pay, what working conditions? What kind of vision is this? My question for those who voted for Tony Abbott is "Is this what you wished for?" Does this budget and the ideology driving it set a foundation for a fair or just Australia. As the Indigenous speakers at this rally said, their communities fight for justice and fairness has been a long and bitter battle, that with this government, has become much worse. Read about the politics in the Northern Territory intervention and the role of the mining companies playing divide and rule with already marginalised indigenous communities. For a lot of other people in our society following this budget it is also going to get worse.
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| GP consultation for free not fee |
Before the march a number of people spoke or performed. The Iranian poet Kaveh Akbari was inspired and I stole his line above "those who still dare to dream." Other speakers raised Australia's recent shameful approach to refugees and off-shore processing. Where else in our society would we accept a man's death in custody does not warrant a full and transparent inquiry. Is it ok to ignore Reza Berati's death on Manus Island because he was a boat person and as some of this government appear to believe, therefore undeserving of basic human rights-such as not to be murdered when under Australian care? People were in agreement on how the ideology that shapes our treatment of refugees is repugnant. The point was made Labor too should hang its head in shame on this issue. Labor needs to re-find its soul, who it represents and who it can speak for and quickly if it wants to show leadership. And as with the May Day International Workers march, where were the politicians?
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This guy said something about first
they came for the people and I sat
around with me tongue
Hanging out...then they stole my
biscuits and told me to tighten
me leash...what the! |
The Greenpeace CEO reminded people of threats to the environment. Many speakers called for us not to be isolated in our collective will for democracy. The MC was impassioned about the list of those potentially affected by this budget. Its a shopping list of the most vulnerable, those without a voice and again to quote Kaveh "We will not go with a silent scream". Our voices will and should be heard. The MC also noted it was the first representation at a demo she knew of by the IT community-surely not, not the internet warriors that I know who are out there in a galaxy far from our lap tops fighting the good fight on the dark side of cyberspace.
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| Dartboard Tony |
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The Lone Ranger forced out of retirement
and back to work |
I also liked the reminder that our arts community has also taken a hit. And the role our benefit system has played in helping Australia shape its culture by allowing a range of creative people to survive while forging their creative work. Our Cate at Centerlink? But think of the music, writing, dance, daubs etc we would not have today if there was not at least a limited safety net for our artists. The new vision is a return to the old free market "Only the few deserve to succeed at make squillions while the rest of you who think you have some creativity can go back and starve quietly in your garret, if you can afford the rent!" And dangle the mirage of the much vaunted corporate sponsorship-mostly focussed on sponsoring winners that reflect the values of the mission statement and vision of our bright, shiny global future.
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Tone's undies and some liberal donations
Does ICAC know? |
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9,980 marchers on a Sunday afternoon...
what layabouts |
But it is the people, the people! The people! That made this afternoon and its energy. Oh and for Monday morning Telegraph readers. I am happy for your writers that they could find the few ferals to discredit the 9,980 and other marchers they counted (although I think there was double the number).
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| And get indigestion... |
We have a fair, just and balanced media, do we not? Has the concept of civil disobedience escaped your notice-sitting down in George Street is hardly worthy of screaming, frothing headlines. As for Annabelle Crabbe (morning of 25 May 2014) accusing us of marching like it was 1972 (or artillery out of the Soviet era-oh please!) "
How, then, can it possibly be that student protests have not changed even one little bit over that time? And how can it be, as even our phones gets smarter, that protesters are somehow getting dumber?" Of course silly me! Stoopid students! Today is a far more sophisticated world, we could have held a simulated march with holograms form our lounges, kitchens, cafes using lap tops, phones, twitter etc. Come on girl! If you were there you would have experienced people coming together to protest a cause in common and there was more creativity in costume and placard than the whole of the Biennale! It was sweaty and comradely and involved people marching together talking together. But relax, the cell phones were out taking selfies etc.
Are you seriously suggesting there is something wrong with a few politicians getting jostled on campuses? As for busting the ABC programme! Shame on any of you there who got your knickers in a knot because people dared to interrupt your buzz. And I had to sit down with horror when I read all the students protesting are part of that terrible "Socialist Alternative" gang who so vilely ransack their mum's cupboards for the third rate manchester to daub sad slogans on. Ms Crabbe, you obviously missed the anarchists in their black drain pipes, endlessly burning fags, red and black flags and enough attitude to make your eye liner blister. Can't imagine what you would have written about that hard arsed, hard bitten mob, probably how with the availability of such cheap clothing from our free economic zones, they could afford to dress better when out in public. Come on, the point was this was a march when many people came together without the driving forces of any vested interest. They were angry, wanted to do something and more importantly for Mr Abbott, Mr Hockey et al, to make a point. Democracy can be such an inconvenience don't you know!
I leave you with photographs of the day. Thank you one and all....and particularly the oldie who could barely walk the length of Benmore Park but just wanted to be there. Good man!
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| A bit of oom-pah for the masses |
The smoking ceremony...I give thanks to the people of the land who reminded us of those whose struggle was paid for in lifeblood. In unity...
