John Roskam from the Institute of Public Affairs highlights the failures of the fourth estate to hold our politicians (and other institutions) to account.
Right now in politics there is only one topic of conversation: leadership and the office of the Prime Minister. It is a terrible discussion for a first term government to be having and, whatever the outcome, will only further turn people off politics and the mainstream political parties.
It is a further indication that what I have been warning of for many years is coming to the fore. There is a crisis of confidence in politicians and political parties. Politicians are no longer seen as servants of the people but a class removed from everyday concerns consumed with self-interest and power.
I said at the start that this letter might disappoint you. That’s because I do not intend to further fuel the unedifying spectacle that is playing out in Canberra by making further comment today. When the time is right, rest assured you’ll hear my view loud and clear.
And frankly, because of the consuming nature of the current political environment, to write about something else would seem a little ‘odd’. So, I’ll wrap up this brief contribution with a link to my speech at the National Press Club that identified some of the issues that confront our political establishment.
Who knows, perhaps some of the current players will give it some consideration.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
