"When Worlds Collide ...."

Politicians have two objectives in life.

• The first is to get elected, and 
• the second is to stay in power. - at all costs.

If we reflect on these goals, you and I do not figure very prominently in the equation at all, and when the worlds of democracy and politics collide, there can only be one winner. One would like to think that it would be democracy, but sadly as we saw this week, it is the world of politics that soundly beat democracy.

On 24th June, the Australian Labour Party, dumped its leader, Kevin Rudd, who was also the Prime Minister of Australia, and replaced him with Julia Gillard as the new Australian Prime Minister. Now what is a little alarming about all this manoeuvring by the Labour Party, is that the position of Prime Minister is a democratically elected position by the people of Australia. And since voting is compulsory in Australia, one would think that whomever gets elected, has done so on the basis that the majority of the Australian people want them to lead the country and set the political agenda.

What I find disconcerting over the events of June 24th is that, whilst it is fair and reasonable for the Labour Party to want to change its leader, I cannot see that it is fair, reasonable or even democratic, that a few factional power brokers within the party, can engineer the dumping of a Prime Minister and the installation of another politician in the top job, who has not been voted in by a mandate from the Australian people.

What has become evident over the last week, was that a few of the key factions in the Labour Party were not happy that the Prime Minister was making decisions without reference to them as key labour unions and members of the political machine. Well that's what Leaders do - they make decisions and after all he was placed into the job to make decisions and lead the country. The end result was that a few quick phone calls, pressure was brought to bear on other key members, and the Labour Party voted Kevin Rudd out of the leadership role.

To me, it does not follow that a few disenfranchised power brokers on the left can remove a Prime Minister without a democratic election.
Although Julia Gillard is a sensible and probably palatable politician, She did not get voted into the role by every Australian - quite the contrary - She was placed into the top job by about half a dozen or so key political players in her own party. If this now sets a precedent, what happens in the future if a Labour Prime Minister does not tow the labour union line ?. Will that factions members simply huddle together, get the numbers and move to toss him out, then replace him with their own puppet leader and push their own agenda through Parliament, irrespective of what the wider community want?.

Although I did not vote for Kevin Rudd, I do agree that he was elected by a democratic process to lead the Australian people for a term of four years, and should have been allowed to do that job. If the Labour Party feel he no longer represents their ideals, then they can vote him out as their leader. But then, if they do not want him as the Prime Minister, the party should place a motion of  "no confidence" and if passed, the Prime Minister should approach the Governor General for permission to hold a general election, so the people can decide on a new Prime Minister.

Not a few back room boys, - that is not the way a democracy works.

Truly a sad day for democracy in Australia.

Cheers