Popularity of Australian politicians

The Federal Government Treasurer in a recent interview has come out strongly to warn that Australians have a very low opinion of its current politicians.  He unfortunately cited Donald Trump's approach as trying to overcome this.  He also unfortunately refers to the political class when silly me I thought each politician was one of us who had been elected to represent us.  Maybe he meant that I am correct and that the politicians have become a political class.  What happened to the Ben Chifley's of this world, a locomotive driver who became our PM.

Anyhow he is reported to have said : "The forgotten people have decided to forget Australia's political class, .....the major parties had lost the trust of the ordinary people who were demanding answers and not petty point scoring." (Wright Shane, "Public's trust gone :  Morrison", The West Australian,"  24-25 June 2017, p18.)

One only has to watch federal parliament on TV to see the game playing that is supposed to be informed debate.  So many who stand to speak at the dispatch desk shout at the opposition in the most undignified way.  A bit of banter is very Australian but the politician who attempts this has to be very skilful a la one of our great ex PMs Paul Keating.  The thing that gets up my nose is the confusing use of statistics based on the skew that each side wants to give them.  I studied statistics to third year level at university and naively thought that the mathematics is the mathematics that says what it says.  I am hopelessly altruistic wanting to simplify and clarify or I am like so many others who have had enough of the media grabs.

The Australian worforce has received minimal if no pay rises for a lengthy period yet this week the pollies got a 2% pay increase.  Not a good look when most of the voters are penny pinching to get by


May the Force be with us!


GD

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