Matt Smith: What it takes to be a good politician | The State

Being popular is not how you become a good politician, writes Matt Smith. These factors are far more critical.

For the best part of the past decade, I have been blessed with the opportunity to work in newspapers.

Much of that time has been spent observing politicians.

My exposure to politicians has ranged from sporadic to daily. I have seen the good, the bad and ugly of all sides of politics, and politicians.

On rare occasions, I have seen the downright stupid. I have seen them laugh, cry and explode in fits of rage.

I covered the end of a 16-year Labor reign in Tasmania and a few years later, the same thing in South Australia. I have covered elections, leadership challenges, and scandals.

I have seen politicians reach their peak too soon, while others departed before their time.

There is a popular opinion that all politicians are cut from the same cloth. It is true in some respects.

Politics in Australia is fought through the middle, where the majority of its citizens are, and candidates tend to reflect that.

Deviation to the far fringes is sometimes celebrated, and at times, embraced by constituents who feel like no politician is listening to their concerns.

Advertiser and Sunday Mail journalist Matt Smith. Picture: Dylan Coker

It is how Donald Trump got elected, and it is why many Australians flirt with the idea of supporting people such as Pauline Hanson and Clive Palmer. There has even been a suggestion this week that Pete Evans might have a tilt at a political career.

But extreme ideologies, or just taking the popular but inappropriate path, rarely serve the public well.

I estimate I have had respectful, close relationships with hundreds of elected representatives over the years.

I would not want to do their jobs for all the money in the world.

Some do a better job than others. But the best ones exhibit the same attributes, regardless of their political leanings:

They put policy over politics

Every party has them – the factional warriors who are happier throwing their colleague under a bus than taking on their genuine political opponents. Factional warfare within parties will always exist. But the best politicians expend their efforts on policy, and on how they are going to serve their constituents.

They know what they don’t know

Former Greens leader Christine Milne once told me that the best politicians know what they don’t know. A politician who knows their brief is worth their weight in gold for policy discussions. Those who talk for talking’s sake just muddy the waters.

They know their community

In an era when politicians have the tools, through social media, to understand voters better than ever, it seems extraordinary that they can so often get it so wrong when determining policy. A constant finger on the pulse of the community will never be an attribute not worth having.

They know when to drop the Oscar performances

For some politicians, every issue is a conspiracy. Every moment their political opponent steps out of line, they should lose their job.

It is true that the threshold for dismissal in Australian politics has been lifted too high. But those who are always outraged often lose credibility.

They know the media are not out to get them

One of the greatest challenges of being a political reporter is the constant insistence that your words on paper, or the organisation that owns your keyboard, is a sign of your bias.

The simple fact is governments make good decisions and they make bad. As do their political opponents.

Australia is blessed with a free press with a diverse range of views.

They Think Big

I have seen really great politicians leave the game too early.

It is a fickle business and it is important to leave a legacy. Getting consensus on big change is not easy. But it is worthwhile.

There are things that we can all agree on. We want a strong economy, we want to care for the vulnerable, we want the best education for our kids.

The best remain true to themselves

In the mainstream parties, it is hard to deviate from the party line.

But even within the confines of the major parties, the best don’t sell out their principles.

They go into politics with ideas and beliefs. They don’t always achieve what they want but they have done it with integrity.