I’m sure Bruce Pascoe deserves more awards than Bettina Arndt does.
If he’s attending to fire near his home at Gypsy Point, Mallacoota
and can’t appear at scheduled literary events through sheer exhaustion
it is truly shameful–he’s one big truth teller, a precious Australian icon.
But Dutton, tarnishing his name and testing allegations of fraud?
I can scarcely believe this. The police say there’s no case to answer
(the Age today). I trust somebody punished “the informant”.
Shock jocks get plenty of airtime broadcasting evil and prejudice.
They have no pact with the truth and don’t apologise in any case.
If our representative government is trying to smear Uncle Bruce
Something needs to change, unless we’re already in the state of Trump.
We spoke up clearly in favour of equal marriage rights recently.
This suggests we are good people, strongly believing in social justice.
Or are Australians silly, a selfish vacant lot; blaming politicians;
ignoring climate and waiting to be forced to vote on a cunning leader.
Government by endless strings of royal commission is another folly.
We deserve real policies to choose from and faithful action on these.
What is democracy about anyway? Please just get on with it.
Our huge, professional public service has enormous tasks before it.