by ROGER CROOK – WE WILL never know whether Anthony Albanese has moments of reflection on his political life and his time as Prime Minister of Australia.
He has has openly identified with his Catholic upbringing; he went to a Catholic school and has said that Christian ideas of compassion, kindness and concern for vulnerable people influence his values.
- They were so urbane, so sincere. So genuine, who could do anything else but believe?
- Albanese promised change and, with it, a better and wealthier Australia.
- What we have received is change but not for the better. We now have a nation that is worse off and poorer than it was.
At the same time, he treats faith as personal and emphasises the separation of church and State.
Anglican worship expresses the General Confession in the memorable words; “Lord, we have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us”.
CONFESSION
In the Catholic church, my understanding is that the general confession becomes a personal confession; “I have done those those things which I ought not to have done, and I have left undone those things which I ought to have done”.
The reason we elect or choose a person or an organisation over another is because we believe in one and not the other.
Who cannot remember the “new Albo” of 2022? Slim, suave, new glasses and new teeth, well-tailored and telling us all of the catalogue of faults with Morrison and the Coalition.
Albanese spoke and made promises and commitments and sufficient people believed him and so he and his Labour “team” were elected.
I wonder whether he goes to Mass or maybe even to a confessional. I wonder if he contemplates the General Confession and repents for misleading Australia.
Now, nearly five years later, as the wheels are actually, not figuratively, falling off Australia, it is time to remember what Anthony Albanese told us he would bring to Australia if we elected him and his “team”.
To start with, seared into every Australian’s memory bank is how Albanese and his colleagues, all promised that when elected, they would lower power bills by $275.
It is now self-evident as Australia pays some of the highest power prices in the OECD, that Albanese and particularly at the time, his minister-elect Chris Bowen, took the Australian people for mugs.
They were so urbane, so sincere. So genuine, who could do anything else but believe?
The men who sold us the $275 snake oil remain amongst us, selling oil with a different fragrance called hypocrisy.
In Perth in front of the Labor Party faithful, the bright lights and the cameras he told Australia: “You can choose a government that seizes the opportunity for Australia to be a renewable energy super power: Driving new industries, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in our regions, acting on climate change.
“You can choose a government that recognises national security is above politics, and invests in cyber security, energy security and real defence capabilities.
“You can choose to restore integrity to politics – to end the waste and the rorts.
“And, above all, you can choose a government that honours and values and rewards your hard work.
“A government that holds no-one back and leaves no-one behind. I stand before you today seeking to lead that government…”
PROMISED
Later, the man who became – and still is – our Prime Minister promised: “Today I want to talk about the five areas my team and I will focus on as we build a stronger and more productive, more resilient economy.
“The first of these is our Powering Australia plan which will drive investment in cheap renewable energy.
“It will create 604,000 jobs by 2030, with five out of every six in the regions.
“It will put cities like Gladstone in the engine room of a new wave of economic growth. It will mean cheaper power for homes and businesses.
“We will end the climate wars.”
And he went on and on about electric cars and trucks and all manner of wonderful things he and his “team” would bring.
Then he changed tack: “Secondly, I’m focused on a future made right here in Australia.
“Thirdly, we will invest in infrastructure to boost productivity and create jobs.”
The fourth element was to improve our future in jobs and training.
Finally, he made this commitment to the people of Australia: “You have earned a better future. On May 21 I am asking you to vote for it.
“Vote Labor, so together we can build a better future. A better future for all Australians.”
Australia believed Albanese and due to a quirky electoral system, he was elected with just 30 per cent of the vote.
Now, nearly five long years later he shows no sign of remorse; that he has not done those things that he ought to have done to fulfill the commitments he made to the Australian people when telling them of the rewards they would experience by electing Labor.
Suffice to say that for nearly five years Albanese and his government has both failed and blatantly ignored the promises they made to the Australian people in 2022.
He promised change and, with it, a better and wealthier Australia.
What we have received is change but not for the better, what we now have to endure is an Australia that is worse off and poorer than it was five years ago.
Worse still, while this obviously incompetent government remains in office, there is no sign of better times on the horizon
The people of Australia are losing billions as real estate prices tumble, rents move ever higher and the dollar buys less and less.
Second only to Iceland, we have the highest interest rates in the world — this is socialism writ large in Australia.
But Labor hasn’t been idle since they were elected. It has inflicted “change by stealth” on Australia and made socialist ideology part of our everyday lives.
CHANGE
The Government has craftily initiated change for which the people didn’t vote and didn’t expect.
The result is now for all to see, a nation mired in debt and with a cost of living which for many, is greater than their income.
Margaret Thatcher was right when she when she said: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”
Change by stealth though, is not confined to Labor.
After the Howard Government was returned in 2004 – and unexpectedly gained control of the Senate – it introduced WorkChoices and look where that got them.
When Kevin07 lead Labor – and politically executed John Howard – he cancelled the legislation that cost the Coalition government.
So any change Albanese makes with which the people disagree is likely to be consigned to the dustbin when he loses office in 2028.
Albanese is obviously not a historian, otherwise he would know that imposing change is politically unsafe enough but imposing change by stealth is inviting retribution from the rank and file, the very people who put him there.
Consider the Voice referendum. To the majority, this proposal for major change in the Constitution came out of the blue.
The debate split Australia asunder. It became unpleasant and rancorous at times. It pitted black against white as much as it was possible to do.
Albanese smiled throughout; delighted in wearing shirts with Aboriginal designs and relished in going to outback meetings and corroborees and promoting his proposition for fundamental change to the manner in which Australia should be governed by giving one race of people priority over the rest.
That proposition of change by stealth failed miserably and Albanese, visibly shaken, walked away from any visibly active part in improving Aboriginal Australia and has not raised the matter since.
TALISMAN
But then he didn’t walk away entirely did he? He decided there was an image of care which he must preserve to satisfy those in his Aboriginal academia and leafy-Leftish urban politics that he was still their advocate and talisman.
So he decided, by stealth, to change the national symbolism of his government and how it would appear in front of Australia and the world.
So he made mandatory the flying of not one but three different flags of equal size at all government functions and on all government buildings.
When were we all asked, when was our permission sought as to whether the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander flags could be displayed alongside the Australian National Flag?
We have never been asked, and never agreed that our National Flag, which embodies our history and which has been proudly carried by Australians in times of war and peace should stand alongside and have an equal place with to two ethnically inspired flags or in my view, banners.
Albanese and members of the ALP have shown that they prefer to stand in front of the two Aboriginal flags, rather than the national flag.
Why is that when, as I wrote recently, the conditions for many Aboriginal people and especially children have not change in 100 years?
As I write there are more terrible stories coming out of Port Hedland.
Stories of drugs, of children selling themselves for drugs to so-called Elders to whom some say I should show my respects.
Bullshit! Who is this man Albanese? PC
