Christian
radical reflections 47,
October 22, 2004AD
How can the
federal National Party break the fetters of its own making and put the national
interest ahead of its own status in a governing Coalition led by the Liberals?
If it had actually
broken through the threshold and become a party with national appeal, it would
have brought together many urban dwellers who know that the neglect of rural
Australia is not good for the nation as a whole. And it would get out of this
craven nonsense that the Liberal Party is somehow more reliable than Labor. That
view is actually a camouflage that diverts attentions away from the truth: National
is itself unreliable as a party because it all too often adopts the standpoint of
a privileged pressure group. If it were an authentic political party it would
have already negotiated agreements across party lines and ceased from this
unthinking and craven approach that prevents it from becoming a party with
genuine national appeal. It would have learned to stand up for its own policies
and developed a strong presence, negotiating with other "bit players"
like the Greens and Labor, but also with the indigenous people of this country.
As a party it would bring people together - urban and rural, indigenous and
non, rich and poor.
If National's
positive contribution is to be a Christian one, as it occasionally claims, then
it needs to enter into the reconciliation process with indigenous peoples with a
renewed commitment to justice and kindness and walking humbly with God. If it was
to do this it would help renew and strengthen Christian thankfulness by country
people, it's traditional "heartland", and by other Christians across
the country.
A party that
learns how to be politically courageous in the national interest need not hide
behind its name or association with Liberal Party "big guns". Instead
it should seek to defend the national interest in honourable ways rather than
merely adding a "country mile" of reservation to the urban pragmatic
utilitarianism of its coalition partner.
It would not be a
bad thing if the National Party became known as the party which forged its
policies on the anvil of authentic prayer to Almighty God, the One who its
leaders so often claim is the Lord to whom they must give account; so why not?
There are indeed immediate policy implications for how we deal with our
neighbours, for how we care for and use the land and for how our we treat the
environment and they can be usefully discussed in a prayer still well-known to
many whose hearts are oriented to their country habitat:
Almighty and most merciful Father; we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done. And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent. According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous and sober life. To the glory of thy Holy Name.
The purpose of
including this prayer here is not to preach, or to give some obscure spin. It
is to state flatly, that any Christian profession held by the National Party is
now under constant threat of being a source of ridicule to all those who seek
to follow Christ in politics as long as the National Party continues its policy
of pragmatic accommodation with a Liberal machine that has dispensed with
conscience as an important factor in political life. It is no genuine party
policy to state that National is the Coalition's conscience if the major party
is still not itself a party of conscience. National's shameful accommodation to
the dictates of the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party since the infamous days
of 1974-5 need to be left behind as those things done "which we ought not
to have done and there is no health in us."
National's lack
of authentic and distinctive leadership in the reconciliation process is also
evidence of grievous sins, sins of omission. Are there National candidates of aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander background in its ranks? National has before it one of the most
constructive tasks it could ever do in nation building. It must become a
political party, an authentic expression of a self-denying ordinance by people
of rural and urban background that understands and nurtures the delicate fabric
of our national life across this difficult continent.
If the Nationals
want to find a political future for themselves then they should take their
Christian reservations seriously and stop allowing themselves to be used as a
moralistic icing on the utilitarian Liberal cake. Instead of being a party of
"reservation" they should become a party of sharp-edged "regret
and repentance" for all the good things we as a nation haven't done, and
lead us to a future where we give up the ethic of self-interested bleating.
Australia needs to be constantly reminded just how delicate this continent is.
The Melbourne-Sydney corridor continues to exert its dominance over the
political life of the continent. But those living off the land and residing in
rural regions not only need to be heard but they can offer a fresh perspective
on the problems that are besetting our evolving Commonwealth. Is the National
Party going to be a party for the entire Commonwealth or is it going to act so
that it continues to be seen as the compliant craven Coalition partner that
only occasionally complains about the depredations of privatisation?
|
October 2004 © Christian Radical
Reflections, is written by Bruce C Wearne (PhD), 29 Lawrence Rd.,
Point Lonsdale Vic 3225 AUSTRALIA, 61-3-5258-3913. Each edition may be
photocopied or retransmitted in its entirety but not otherwise published,
reprinted or transmitted without permission. This personal project
aims to encourage positive Christian citizenship, the development
of policies and political attitudes that better express our love for God and
our neighbour. Your comments are welcome. Email can be sent to bcwearne@ozemail.com.au
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~bcwearne/index.html |