Who is in control?

I’m a little confused, or a little innocent: which is it?

I read today that Julia Gillard is “in control” of her government.  Mark Latham has, apparently, been mouthing off again.  That prompted the “assurance”.  After Mark’s performance during the election campaign, that is hardly surprising, I suppose.  Chris Bowen has promoted Mark to the position of comedian.  How nice.

Now, I may be wrong, but I was always of the belief that our nation’s Prime Minister was in fact the leader of the party or coalition in government.  I was not aware it was a dictatorship and that one person was in control.  Strangely enough, I actually thought it was “our” government, not “her” government.  While I believe this was an unfortunate choice of words and nothing more, it did make me wonder a little.

I recall the election campaign: it was all about Abbott and Gillard.  As if we were actually having a USA-style Presidential election.  We weren’t, supposedly.

In this country we vote for our local representatives.  At least that is the plan.  I am wondering if we might get better government if we all returned to that basic principle of democracy.  Now we seem to vote first and foremost for a “party”.  I know nothing much about my local member.  Do you know anything about yours?  I contacted him once.  Never had a response.  Why would I bother again?  Would I vote for him?  Not likely! 

So given I don’t give a toss about my local member (I’m merely reciprocating),  do I just vote for the candidate for the other party?  Do I not vote at all?  Interesting questions we all have to face, I am sure.  Or, at least, those of us of voting age.

I’m still bothered by this use of the word “control”.  Is government really about keeping them all in line, like the crocodile formation we all walked to school in when I was a child? Making sure they don’t step out of line?  Our representatives are, presumably, mature, intelligent adults.  If not, why did we vote them in as our representatives?

I’m not sure I like this word “control”. 

Advertisement