Tribalism: The New Unpublic Good

Kenneth Davidson writes an op-ed on the High Court allowing pre-legislatively approved Liberal policy to use taxpayer money for advertising. What caught my eye though, was the tribalistic conclusion.

This is the paragraph;

As important as the political advertising case was, it pales into insignificance compared with the violence the majority decision has done to the institution of Parliament and open and accountable government. Make no mistake, Labor will form the executive some time in the future and, if this decision is allowed to stand, it will abuse traditional constitutional process with even more brutality than the present government.

Liberals abusing now, but nice Psychic Friends attack on Labor abusing it worse in the future. Surely we can agree that it is the Executive that has to be reigned in, no matter which party is in government?

I dont particularly care whether it is Liberal, Labor, UAP, Fusion, or some future majority party. The instutution must be more resilient than any popular political tribe of the moment. Davidson would do well to leave the partisan stuff out.

The Westminster system is weak, very weak, in checks and balances. Our system mixes Executive and Legislature. Giving unparalleled power to the majority government of the day. This is what needs to be concentrated on. Our system is being abused, it is in our interests to stop that abuse, whether through legal action, voting the bastards out, or ensuring the Senate is a genuine house of review.

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