Piers Akerman: Albanese’s Socialist Left a few sandwiches short of a picnic

The prospect of choosing between Labor and the Coalition at the federal election seems daunting at first glance. It shouldn’t be, Piers Akerman writes.

The prospect of choosing between Labor and the Coalition at the upcoming federal election seems daunting at first glance. It shouldn’t be.

There remain many differences between the two major parties despite the best efforts of the hordes of political advisers employed by both to downplay the divide.

First though, it would help enormously if our elected representatives did just that and represented their electors’ interests first and foremost and stopped jumping to the demands of minority activist organisations.

The Canberra press gallery, which claims it is the eyes and ears of its audience and therefore free to act rudely, display bias and generally behave in a manner which appals most Australians, might tone down the personal and report more on the policy debates.

Guests rise from their seats following a speech from Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins at the National Press Club. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

This is most unlikely to happen as Twitter clicks count more than respect in 2022. Reporters shouldn’t be seeking personal popularity but the smirks and sneers displayed during televised press conferences show that the gallery’s front of house performers are largely from the look-at-me generation. By any measure, religious freedom is not an issue in Australia.

Schooling is another thing though and if parents choose to send their children to a particular faith school to provide their offspring with some religious education, that’s a matter for them, surely?

When the state starts to dictate what religious schools teach other than what is in the approved curriculum they are bound to run into trouble. China now appoints bishops and priests to the state-approved Roman Catholic church, with the blessing of the current Pope. This has significantly undermined that church and dishonours all those who have stood up against tyranny and totalitarianism in the name of Christianity through the centuries.

Parents must be given the choice of a religious education without the state’s intervention. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Crosling

The responsibility for choosing where a child is to be educated should rest with the parents. If a particular school plays rugby union and not AFL, it is ludicrous to think that the government should order it to field an AFL team so some pupils might feel more comfortable.

The parents of the kids who want to play AFL should ensure that the school of their choice caters to the interests of their children, not demand that the school change its ways.

If a religious school adheres to the tenets of its faith, whether it follows the Bible or the Koran, the state has no right to demand it ignore its Holy Book’s teachings. Religious wars are nothing new and ongoing.

We don’t need to stoke them here.

This is very much a First World argument and an irrelevancy to the overwhelming majority but it wasted precious parliamentary time last week.

The religious discrimination bill wasted precious parliamentary time. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gary Ramage

It was like the inordinate amount of airtime the ABC devoted to the untested allegations of rape at Parliament House after hours from a young woman.

Or the claims of academic Nareen Young that the eating of white bread defined “Anglo men” and, in some bizarre manner possibly understood only by those who have been to university, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Ms Young, needless to say, defines herself as “one of Australia’s leading and most respected diversity practitioners” which only shows how “diversity” has become such a meaningless word.

If the esteemed academic was ever at a Bunnings on a weekend she would see people of all hues, either gender, and no doubt every faith, enjoying a sanger wrapped in white bread. The concerns I have with Labor are simple.

The party is led by Anthony Albanese, a long-time member of the Socialist Left faction, a group reliably short of sandwiches at every policy picnic. Albo, as friendly journalists hasten to call their mate, has some capacity.

A Labor win and Anthony Albanese prime ministership would give the trade unions even more power. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Crosling

Perhaps he might make a good mayor in a small inner-urban suburb where council meetings end with a round of drinks to which the local media are invited and inevitably compromised.

The larger problem though is that Labor would invite a resurgence of the trade union movement which shackled the nation to 19th century work practices for much of the last century.

Labor would provide the unions with political muscle giving them the trifecta, with industrial heft and economic power through the super funds they control.

After Covid and facing an uncertain global economy, the country doesn’t need to be hobbled by a backward looking Labor government.