Jasin wrote on Jan 6
th, 2020 at 6:43am:
The Nationals hold strong that Rural is always a loser populated by inbred Hicks while sophisticated City people always win... just like it is in the Northern Hemisphere.
I think the Nationals are just doing their thing, like every other Political Party here... still running things as if it was the Northern Hemisphere.
Move along, nothing to see here folks.
Visiting dairy farming relatives in Gippsland recently they dragged me along to a local National Party meeting. I imagined I’d be subjected to yet another moralistic, right wing diatribe and man oh man was I ever wrong!.
After the initial bitch about the dairy industry being screwed by the Nationals baring their arses to the Liberals in the interest of power sharing. (close to the language used on the night) a discussion took place about issue National members now had is common with the Greens. It would appear a hell of a lot. There wasn't a single farmer there that night who didn’t accept the reality and accelerating dangers of climate change. I came away with my head spinning with in increased puzzlement as to why political journalism and the broadcast media are totally silent about these kinds of developments.
Returning to Tasmania I discussed this with a number of local farmers who also suggested they were becoming more ‘green’ by the day. Question is will they manage to leave behind their conservative (christian?) social values long enough to force significant change?
One thing is certain. The recent incineration of vast tracts of Australia and Canberra’s pathetic response has changed the political game in ways I’d never in my wildest dreams thought possible.
Has the wake up call come in time?