I looked at my group of friends of Facebook today. It’s not the entirety of my social circle but it’s definitely a fairly representative snapshot.
Some Australians.
Some not.
Some gay.
Some not.
Some parents.
Some not.
Some living with a disability.
Some not.
Some sick.
Some not.
Some Muslim.
Some not.
Some white skinned.
Some not.
Some refugees.
Some not.
Some First Australians.
Some not.
Some multi-lingual.
Some not.
Some musical.
Some not.
Some old.
Some not.
Some animal lovers.
Some not.
Some educated.
Some not.
Some thermo-mix, croc wearing, crossfitters.
Some not.
And I can say quite honestly, that when I vote on Saturday, I won’t be voting for me. I really wont.
And I don’t want anybody else to vote ‘just’ for themselves.
Me? I’ll be voting for the Australia I believe we can be. I know some of you think it’s bleeding heart lefty bollocks to believe in a government that puts people before politics, that protects the human rights of my friends and other Australians, and treats the vulnerable with dignity, respect and humanity.
I know that there is no easy answers. I know that it’s not entirely possible to make all the people happy all of the time. I know that we have to make sure our economy is sustainable and blah blah blah – but you know something – that’s largely inevitable. All the parties approach money the same (Don’t f**k it up or we’ll lose the next election) – what we need is leadership and integrity and people in our government that are passionate about the people, not the power.
I’m not a fool. I’m not John Lennon with his round glasses and ability to string a tune together of a utopian world that is completely unachievable. But I do want an Australia where every single person has the same human rights as me, where nobody feels scared because of their race, their religion, their sexual orientation or their heritage.
I want an Australia that celebrates it’s diversity – not pays lip service. I want an Australia that does provide a fair go for everybody. I want an Australia that shares its boundless plains. I want an Australia where my politicians act with integrity, treat people with decency and don’t just dribble out three word slogans, bigotry and bullshit.
They say I’m a dreamer. But I hope I’m not the only one.
If you want to see more of what goes on when I’m not writing this blog
