“The Chipmunk Is Gone”
I hate politics, especially Australian politics. So I wasn’t glued to my TV set last week to see if John Howard and the Libs could hang on to power, or whether they got chucked out by a seriously pissed-off public. I only knew about it when a good friend texted me an SMS message which read, “The Chipmunk is Gone!”
This mate of mine often sends me silly messages from his mobile phone, so I didn’t immediately realize he was referring to our Little Johnnie. He spelled it out for me, s-l-o-w-l-y for the Dummy (me), when I phoned him back. Then it became obvious to me like it should have been already.
Howard is gone, and his Liberal Party is in disarray after his long-suffering deputy and treasurer, Peter Costello, quit the party once he understood his hopes for political leadership had just gone down the gurgler together with any faith the Australian people once had in Little Johnnie, aka “The Chipmunk”. Howard’s even lost his home seat of Bennelong, to Labor newcomer and ex-journalist Maxine McKew.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that state Labor now has even more power without the Libs to hold them back. So we’re going to witness more arrogant dealings with the public, such as the deliberate postponing until after the election of the traffic arrangements on Epping Road where 6 lanes get reduced to 2 lanes, just to force more long-suffering Sydney motorists to pay to drive on the disgusting M2 Tollway.
Already the M2 is proving how unpopular it is with the public, because the traffic using (and paying) has turned out to be about half the projected figures suggested to investors. We can expect to see the investment downgraded by the financiers next year; though it remains to be seen whether the M2 will go the same way the Sydney City Tunnel did, and be sold off to the Receivers.
Personally, I think the bureaucrats and politicians who put together this travesty should be jailed. If not, then at least they should be sacked and all their retirement benefits removed.
If you haven’t worked it out by now, I am not enamored by Liberal or Labor. I reckon this country will stay stuck in the rut until the people wake up to the sleight of hand trick where voters preferences are “reported” by the media but only on a Two Party Preferred basis.
Joe Six-Pack, sorry, that’s Bruce Six Pack over here… He couldn’t tell the difference anyway.