McGinty's Scorecard: Power (Dist.) Politics (Fail)Power before principle, is the hallmark of much of the mess created in the name of reform by failed former Attorney General Jim McGinty.
The Desert Rat thought it would be instructive to examine McGinty's so-called electoral reform legislation. McGinty thought that by introducing one-vote one-value, he would entrench the Australian Labor Party in power in WA for the next decade. By doing a grubby deal with the Greens to get their support in the Legislative Council for his legislation, McGinty actually increased the malapportionment in the Upper House - something he hypocritically said was immoral and wanted to rid the system of!
A principled approach would have been to have equal vote weighting in the Legislative Council. The Desert Rat has no doubt that considerations of power, not justice were the driving force behind McGinty thinking and actions on electoral reform.
The National Party who were supposed to be obliterated by McGinty's manoeuvre are now quietly laughing. McGinty has handed the National Party many Upper House seats and undreamed of power in the Legislative Council.
The Nationals can't believe how stupid McGinty has been and are very grateful.
This of couse will transfer hundred of millions of dollars to country electorates at the expense of McGinty's own electorate fo Fremantle and other metro seats. Again something McGinty miscalculated. Many former ALP country voters changed their vote because McGinty showed no interest in them - he abandoned them!
McGinty's stupid comments denigrating the vital Royal Flying Doctor Service incensed most thinking and compassionate people and underlined McGinty's contempt for country people.
McGinty's electoral shenanigans came back to bite him on his polished bum. He alienated those who saw through his cheap unprincipled approach and undermined any moral authority the ALP had on electoral reform.
No comments:
Post a Comment