....and a few other things

 Following my previous post, I have been asked to clarify some matters raised in previous posts and óf course, who I will be voting for this Saturday. In the Senate, I will be voting for Rex and in my electorate of Sturt, most likely for Katie McCusker from the Greens (and Labor above Liberal ultimately) BUT I would prefer to be voting for Jo Dyer in Boothby or Liz Habermann in Grey. I still wholeheartedly believe the case for an independent senator actively using privilege as a tipping point for change in how we respond to clearly identified abuse and neglect remains as compelling as ever. Over the last 3 years, our failure to protect our vulnerable has been reflected in numerous Covid-19 related failures and the multitude of flow on impacts on the health system, the disturbing events told in the disability, aged care and veteran suicide royal commissions, and the seemingly never ending inquiries and daily media stories documenting all manner of tragic events with clearly missed opportunities for intervention in settings such as family violence, deaths in custody, child and elder abuse and neglect. I didn't live that far from Ann Marie Smith and in the months that followed her death, I often thought of her and the unimaginable suffering she experienced in her final days. It's absurd that in 2022, we are still overwhelmed and confronted by our failures to protect vulnerable Australians and despite our shared shock and grief about these horrifying incidents, real change in some areas remains glacial.

I have been asked to clarify my earlier remarks about the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) in one of my earlier posts. When I ran for parliament in 2019, I expected to encounter robust discussions and confronting situations but not repeatedly from AEC's staff members. Whilst the surprising number of incidents I encountered might suggest that this was systemically biased conduct, I do feel it was more likely to be somewhat shambolic and unprofessional behaviour by some AEC staff members, with some clearly appearing to be on power trips hoping to achieve a gotcha moment and derail my campaign. The main issue I encountered on a daily basis from the AEC, voters, volunteers and other candidates involved them challenging the legality of my 'How to Vote' material but without any factual basis. I had small circular stickers printed mid-way through the campaign which I stuck to my signs (seen in the image above) in an effort to stop these unnecessary distractions but they went largely ignored, primarily as AEC advertising repeatedly misinformed voters of the need to number a minimum of 12 boxes below the line - when only 6 boxes are actually required. During the 2022 campaign, AEC advertising material once again misinforms Australians about the below the line voting process, and I once again clearly highlight that page 40 of the Scrutineers Handbook (Australian Electoral Commission, version 11, 2021) details that only six consecutive preferences from 1 through  to 6 are required.  I am hopeful that reforms around truth in political advertising will pass through the next parliament irrespective of the result (noting the in-principle support of Liberal MP Jason Falinski - who has somewhat ironically misrepresented charities in his advertising during the 2022 campaign),  and that the AEC's advertising will be bound by this legislation. When I wrote to the AEC about the harassment I received in May 2019, they refused to engage into an investigation or conversation about the issue. The irony of a candidate campaigning against abuse but subject to unfounded harassment seems to have been lost on the AEC and simply echoes the stonewalling and ignorance that victims of far more serious incidents encounter when they try to stop harmful conduct. During the 2019 campaign, I also witnessed AEC staff members make clearly sexist remarks, behave in a manner akin to an angry bouncer at a nightclub and witnessed clear breaches of my and electors' privacy. It really was an eye opening experience.

I have particularly been struck by the absence of any significant discussion about Covid-19 during the campaign. The 'let it rip' strategy of the government which clearly commenced in late 2021 clearly ignored the Omicron wave, clearly ignored the timeline of the vaccine rollout for children aged under 12 and continues to ignore the rising deaths of those most at risk - our elders. Ultimately, it was our geographical strength as an island nation which protected Australia in 2020 & 2021 and rather than good policy, it was fortunate that we survived the clear failures of quarantining international arrivals and Covid cases in the middle of our cities, the Ruby Princess debacle and the ever shifting messages and strategies particularly around our borders and the health system. Just imagine if in 2020 we had moved to a single point of international entry in Australia and quarantined individuals away from our most populous areas, if our government had treated the vaccine rollout as a race, and then imagine 2020 & 2021 without lockdowns and state border closures. I remain hopeful that a strong independent vote will be reflected in more independent voices in our next parliament,  potentially holding the balance of power in both houses and most importantly, truly holding the government to account and creating meaningful change in the many stagnating policy areas. The Labor and Liberal parties have tried, failed and refused to admit their failures, and it's possible that we may have just reached that tipping point where we no longer tempt insanity by doing the same thing over and over and expect different results. Lets hope so.