Not so great; not such a debate

A so called debate last night showed how lacking in leadership this country is currently and how badly served we are by our journalists. Last night not only was there enough spin from Julia and Tony that one felt giddy but the questions the journos put were pat and twee and could not have possibly elicited any other responses than those we got. Why oh why did they simply want to rehash the so called issues of the first week of the campaign. Why wasn't there an effort to pursue the vision the leaders were going to give us, take them beyond the things they were obviously so well practised in, push them to have to address what they were going to give this country if they were elected. Such a shame, such a lost opportunity and no wonder apathy is so strong in Australia when it comes to politics.

So what would I like to see? I yearn for a progressive vision, I yearn for something a bit deeper, a bit beyond the gloss and the slogans. We have to move beyond this bunker mentality we have nurtured over the recent past. We need to believe we do live in a country that can lead and make a difference in and to the world, especially on the environment. If something can affect us then we can and must be a part of the solution and we have to accept we can lead on that. This is the country that invented the black box recorder, the cochlear implant and the pacemaker, we can be role models for the rest of the world, we do matter and we must get on with it.

Here's a few other thoughts for starters:

• I want to know what sort of country we want to be, today, tomorrow and in twenty years and I want to know how our leaders are going to get us there. What are the decisions that are being made today that will shape us and the next generations?
• It has to become a given that no one should wait more than two weeks for an operation, elective or otherwise. Our hospital system has to work on a basis of providing care immediately rather than bed availability, number of doctors or the dollars available
• Every child must have all the tools they need to get the most advantage out of the education system and not have to consider whether they can pay for that. The only blocker should be their capacity intellectually or by choice
• Every teenager should be confident they will get any job they are qualified for
• No Australian should fear what is going to happen to the climate or what kind of environment we are passing on to future generations
• Australia should become the conflict solver rather than contribute to their proliferation
• The only cost associated with national security should be dollars and not human rights
• We must re frame our view of refugees from demonising human beings who risk their lives to make them better to one of welcoming them, saluting their choices and working to manage how someone finds themselves at the start of that journey in the first place...how do we have a world where refugees are not needed? What might happen in the world if we simply said 'In 2011 we will take 140,000 refugees'???
• We must seek to stop making pensioners second class citizens. How can it be that at 64 someone is a first class, valued and vibrant member of the community to suddenly on retirement becoming practically invisible, unimportant and minimised in almost every way? How can we do that and call ourselves a 'civilised' and caring country?

More anon