Multicultural Australia works!

By: Kevin Rennie (Registered ) on 17-10-2007 01:03

Immigration, refugees, asylum seekers - forgotten people in this election. John Howard's monoculturalism needs to be repudiated by the voters, but too politicians are looking over their shoulders at the Hansonites. For a personal response to Kevin Andrew's vilification of Sudanese regugees, please visit 'Labor View from Broome' http://laborview.blogspot.com/ He should have resigned or been sacked ages ago. Let's hope the electorate hold him and his amoral colleagues accountable.

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What are We?

By: Lizzy (Registered ) on 17-10-2007 01:48

We live in a Nation. Within that Nation we live in a Society. That society is governed by a representative parliament. That Parliament has obligations and responsibilities to the people hence it is a democratic system. Part of that responsibility is to collect taxes and distribute them as required by the community. 
The taxes once paid no longer 'belong' to the individual but to the people. 
These taxes are to help pay for the general infrastructures needed and demanded by the citizenry. They are also there as part of an agreement that says; 
"If you do right in the community, obey the laws, work, pay your taxes and contribute in any way to the well being of the society, then it is our obligation tthat when things go wrong, you are hurt, destitute or in need we will care for you". 
 
It seems to be that in the past 11 years of a Conservative Government the understanding of what it means to be a part of the community, to pay taxes, to care for those that need it has been lost. 
This 'leadership' has encouraged all and sundry to become greedy, self-serving, demanding recognition for 'volunteering', or good works, be rewarded for being a 'success' above and beyond the norm for survival, and to care only for themselves and their kin. 
 
This does not make a healthy, steadfast, caring community. 
This makes for a fractured, bitter, downward envy society that decries when the poor are helped, and that demands that they too get 'their fair share', when in reality they already have more than enough. 
 
It is time. 
It is time for us to become, through a fairer, more aware and caring representation of our society ( ie Governing body), to put into play a leadership that shows how proud we can be as a nation to care for those who are in desperate straits and who are struggling through no fault of their own. 
 
Time for tax payers to be proud of their contribution and to give their 'fair share' knowing it will be used with compassion, with practical forethought and with reasonable care. 
 
Show us, not the money, but the way back from the wilderness of greed and self-serving focus.

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