Bummed about the election? Here are six reasons to not worry and be happy
To celebrate our national unity, then, here are six standout stories to make us forget last Saturday and feel better about ourselves, our nation, our ideological rivals and our future, writes Tim Blair.
Opinion
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When elections are decided, feelings may turn to ugly gloating or bitter resentment.
But we Australians must be bigger than that. And we are.
Despite the election, we do share common interests. We do hold certain views and attitudes that bring us together rather than drive us apart.
To celebrate our national unity, then, here are six standout stories to make us forget last Saturday and feel better about ourselves, or nation, our ideological rivals and our future.
No politics, I promise. Just pure universal goodness for Australians of all parties to enjoy.
Example one. Last Friday morning, a truck carrying tonnes of pointy metal shards lost 700kg of its load on the M1 Pacific Motorway.
You can imagine the rubber-shredding mayhem. Some 300 vehicles were soon stopped with flat tyres along a 25km stretch of the M1.
Whenever there is a mass inconveniencing of the public, the response from those involved is often to dodge responsibility, blame others and avoid any corrective action.
But not in this case. “This is definitely one of our trucks,” Daniel Falconer of the NJ Ashton transport company confirmed as the motorway was still being cleared. Despite the cause of the incident being an unforeseen mechanical fault, Falconer said his driver – a 20-year haulage veteran – was distraught about all the damage and delays.
“He’s devastated,” Falconer said. But, he added, the driver had “no idea” about the fault: “Everything was locked. When the police turned up, they confirmed that.”
And he immediately invited all affected motorists to seek compensation: “They just contact us, go through our insurance, and everything will be covered.”
Impressive honesty. Great clarity. Excellent attitude. Top marks to these truckers all around.
Example two. The only thing funnier in this election than “influencer” Abbie Chatfield sobbing online about Greens leader Adam Bandt possibly losing his seat would be if Bandt actually did lose his seat. Counting is still under way, but how delicious would it be if that cartoon Marxist midget was …
Oh dear. My sincere apologies. A tiny little bit of divisive politics crept in there somehow.
It won’t happen again. Your planned happy column now resumes.
Example three. We all knew police inspector Amy Scott was a hero even before we learned her name. Anyone who stops a deadly attacker is a hero in Australian eyes.
As last week’s inquest into the 2024 Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing rampage revealed, however, Insp. Scott’s heroism was far greater than could have been imagined.
Running into the shopping centre to confront mass killer Joel Cauchi, Scott told the inquest she felt sick with apprehension. “In my head,” she said, “I had resigned myself to the fact that I was probably going to die.”
As she explained, officers are told during training that they face a 60 to 70 per cent likelihood of being killed in such circumstances. “And that is if you are partnered up and vested up,” Scott noted. “I was neither of those.”
Yet Scott – recalling her training aim to “stop the killing, stop the dying” – prevailed. Three shots took Cauchi down. More than a medal, Insp. Scott deserves a medal to be named in her honour.
Example four. Should we feel sad that the Coalition lost? Hell no! Those wimps are just as bad as Labor with their big spending, their net zero commitments and their Covid cowardice. I say we put them all in a … NO! It’s happened again. This was meant to be politics-free. I am awfully sorry. Let’s just quickly move on.
Example five. Australian Formula One ace Oscar Piastri won Monday morning’s thrilling Miami Grand Prix, extending his GP victory streak to three and his lead in the world championship to 16 points.
The 24-year-old is only in his third full season of F1 and he’s completely smashing it, even dominating rapid McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who has a significant experience advantage (134 career F1 starts compared to Piastri’s 52).
Perhaps the key to Piastri’s speed is his understated patriotism. He wears three Australian flags on his helmet, including one in direct sight of his car’s on-board camera.
He could probably sell that space for advertising. A high-visibility display in F1 can be worth millions.
But Oscar the Great is sticking with our colours. Asked about his helmet design in 2021, Piastri simply said: “It’s nice to show off the Aussie flag.”
Yes. Yes, it is. And it’s nice that we have a decent bloke beating the best in Formula One.
Example six. Climate change is a stupid fraud intended to terrify your children and steal your money. Also, renewable energy is a blatant Ponzi scheme run by poisonous mansion-dwelling panic scammers.
No apologies for that one. Sooner or later, everyone will know that it’s all true. Probably after the trials.
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