And amidst the current debate, one could be forgiven for thinking that nothing else important is happening in the world. I regret that’s not the case.

 

Not too far from our own borders, a most unusual man has armed himself with nuclear bombs and the rockets necessary to deliver them almost anywhere in the world. He is engaged in a battle of brinkmanship with the United States - which has implications for us all.

 

For those of us who grew up in the shadow of a Cold War nuclear showdown between the USA and USSR, it is like deja-vu : worrying but well-aware that nuclear armageddon is unlikely.

 

However there is an entire generation of Australians for whom the Cold War is merely an academic study. What President Reagan coined as ‘the evil empire’ is history and the atrocities of cold war communism have been mostly airbrushed from the text books.

 

Perhaps that explains the sugary appeal of statism (in various flavours such as ‘socialism’ and ‘marxism’) for our young people. Rather than seeking more freedom from the coercion of the state, many now want greater control invested in government.

 

The likes of Jeremy Corbyn in the UK and Bernie Sanders in the USA have met with youthful acclaim and Bill Shorten is trying it on here too.

 

His class warfare rhetoric, attacks on ‘millionaires’ and patina of false promises are designed to tap into a deep concern that things aren’t going so well for too many of us.

 

That his public pronouncements are at odds with his history seems to be no cause for concern…but they should be.

 

How can we rely on leaders who will say and do anything to get into power? Will they really do what needs to be done to make Australia stronger and more prosperous, or will they do whatever works to their own advantage?

 

I think the answer is pretty clear but regret too few voters are prepared to reflect on past experience and ask themselves those important questions. And who can blame them?

 

The past decade has seen the failure of government to act in the national interest. They have chosen politics over principle and expediency over experience.

 

At some point in the next few years that will change. The paper thin hope that the political class will get it right will eventually dissolve like sugar in hot water.

 

Then, the people of Australia will recognise that they deserve better and will be seeking a better way.

 

Australian Conservatives will be there for them.

 

Until next week,