OPINION: If Nationals are not reflecting community views, join the party and have your say Opinion by News Of The Area - Modern Media - April 29, 2022 DEAR News Of The Area, COLIN Grant may consider the Nationals have lost their roots (‘When did the National Party lose its roots?’, p29, Coffs Coast NOTA, 8 April Edition) but any party can only reflect the views of their members. If Colin feels the Nationals are not reflecting the views of the community, has he considered becoming a member where he can have his say on the direction and policies? Party members have regular direct liaison with State and Federal members and can express their opinion on any bills coming before the parliaments. It is also worth being aware that in NSW the Nationals are a completely independent party to the Liberals and agree to a coalition to form government. A coalition means that the two parties need to reach agreement on many topics and like any democratic system you do not always get your own way. Draft legislation may not always be 100 percent in line with the policies of the Nationals, but can be amended prior to voting to more closely align with the views of the regional community the Nationals represent. You win some and lose some but it is always better to be inside the tent contributing, than outside the tent and dissatisfied! Regards, Keith BENSLEY, Sawtell.
Keith Bensley’s very well written letter of 29 April puts a very reasoned view that in order to effect change within a party, and express a diversity of views in a party, the best course of action is to join a party to be heard. “Better to be in the tent contributing, than outside the tent and dissatisfied”. It’s a great idea, in theory. But I suggest that the high road of major party politics is full of potholes and large land slips. A bit like the road from Bellingen to Dorrigo at the moment. In fact for many other roads in our region. I suggest that the reality of ‘modern politics’ in our existing major party system works somewhat differently to that. A few phrases spring to mind, including branch stacking, preselection by powerbrokers not party members, manipulation and corruption of party processes, pork barrelling according to the colours in a spreadsheet. It’s more about Party and Politics rather than Good Governance and Policy. Look at what is ‘Announced’ rather than what is ‘Done’….or more often, not. Being outside the tent and dissatisfied is an understandable response when a party system continues to focus on the game of politics. However it’s how we step out of the tent that counts. We as a community change the way the system works by choosing an Independent candidate who values a diversity of views, not a party view. And we as a community can choose to allocate our own preferences the way we want, rather than what is suggested to us by parties. It’s a much more satisfying, inclusive and quicker approach to getting our voices heard than by chipping away at the coalface of the major party system. Reply
