Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Slow Thinking Conservatives

Some of you will know that I spend a bit of time in South Australia - because I have family there and it's where I do a bit of *boat building*.

Mostly I hang out in a little seaside village that is hidden away from the rest of the world.  And that is just how the locals like it.

The location is great and the weather is mostly good but the place suffers in other ways.

Take politics for example.

The place is seriously conservative - like much of regional Australia.  Both the State ‫and Federal MP's are "right wing" conservative Liberals and it has been that way for ever.  The really scary thing is that many locals don't even know what that descriptor means.  You think I am kidding don't you, Virginia ;-)

The current State MP has the second safest seat in the State parliament - with something like a 26% margin.  He could be a cardboard cutout and the locals would still elect him.  There are a few who think he is.

It reminds me of Michael Moore's attempt to get a Ficus elected to Congress.

Which brings me to my point.  Infrastructure - or rather the lack of it.

Over the past 42 years - the Liberal conservatives have been in charge for 12 years and Labor has run the State for 30 years.  That's 2.5 to 1 in favor of Labor.

Interestingly, those numbers also reflect the infrastructure investment that has been made in this place.  It's been woefully underfunded - particularly the important areas like education and health - don't even think about roads and water supply.

I suppose there will come a time when the locals will realise that they have been short-changed as a result of their political choices.  But I sometimes do wonder if anyone who lives there is actually paying attention?

No comments: