The Rip Van Winkle Campaign

If you’ve been asleep for the past five weeks you haven’t missed much in the world of politics.

Sure, we’ve been in the midst of a Federal election campaign where the false promises have been flowing thick and fast but it hasn’t been very exciting.

The press pack got in a flap over Scott Morrison being blessed with two beautiful and healthy daughters, then over Anthony Albanese not knowing his own policies or basic economic facts, but it has still been boring.

To be honest, I still don’t know what the two major parties are actually campaigning on?

It seems to be a more of the same or a time for a change so we can have more of the same campaign depending on which side you sit.

People aren’t even talking about politics to me, and that’s usually the number one topic of conversation, or maybe number two after fishing.

Now it doesn’t even rate in the top five!

Does that mean people simply aren’t paying attention or are yet to make up their minds?

Maybe it suggests that they have already settled on their voting intent and can’t be swayed.

I honestly don’t know but there is a lot of suggestion that the government is in a spot of bother.

They’ve been a big target in recent years through having to deal with a range of dramatic events. None have been bigger than the pandemic.

It cost us all hundreds of billions of dollars in debt,  deprivation of liberty, a papers please police state and the abrogation of responsibility by politicians who hid behind bureaucrats.

While people were initially grateful, I said at the time this would come back to bite those political parties who pushed this course and that appears to be happening now – at a state and federal level.

The pushback isn’t driving people from one major to the other but rather into the minor parties.

Some are more a protest vote than ideologically driven but the right of centre voter is now spoiled for choice.

One Nation have become an established electoral fixture where many pursuing a more nationalist intent are heading. The freedom lovers seem to be keen on the Liberal Democrats whose policy platform is about less government and more freedom.

In their words, “you’ll own more and be happier” which is a slap in the face to the WEF globalists who want you to 'own nothing and be happy'.

Clive Palmer is making a giant yellow splash with an expensive media campaign and some innovative policies.

His claim to cap home loan rates at 3% for five years has been dismissed as impossible and economically irresponsible but it is striking a chord with some voters.

I agree it’s superficially attractive to those worried about the mortgage and it isn’t responsible but it is certainly not impossible.

I entered adulthood where home loans were capped by the government at 13.5 per cent! Those on it thought it was a good deal as others had to pay 17, 18, 19 per cent rates to get a mortgage.

None of these parties have committed to the foolish net zero by 2050 target. That’s one fertile political battleground the Liberals conceded with no benefit.

They are also being attacked on the left by the ‘non party’ known as the Teal Independents or Climate 200.

This is group of women, backed by the inherited fortune of  Simon Holmes a Court and his pals, to push climate change projects no matter who forms government.

They are all running in liberal seats which suggests which Party they’d like to see the back of.

There are also serious questions about their advocacy for projects that might advance the investments of their financial sponsor.

It wouldn’t be the first time we’d seen green political advocacy for the principled reason of self interest and enrichment.

I invited Mr Holmes a court onto my Sky News program this week. He disrespectfully declined which makes me wonder why?

After his various name-calling, he maintained it was because not enough people watch this show, but he also boasted of appearing in forums with far fewer viewers.

Perhaps it’s just he wasn’t ready to be challenged about the party he formed which he insists isn’t a party, maybe it’s more of a collective, sort of like a commune for the green rich.

Unfortunately for the country, a largely disengaged electorate might actually support some of these candidates without knowing how politically dangerous they can be.

Then you have the even harder left parties…like the Greens. Have you heard much from them this election?

I certainly haven’t which has led me to conclude that they don’t need to say much because both the major parties are already doing their work for them.

Think about it. Net zero, green subsidies, more cash for the ABC, more debt, more pronouns, more genders and less common sense….you can’t really pick between them.

But occasionally a shoot of hope springs in even the most infertile soil.

This week it was in the Animal Justice Party (AJP). They are really just a hard core lefty front group but it was heartening to read that they can’t control the thoughts of all of their candidates.

Two of them have resigned from the AJP when the refused to undergo Party mandated ‘gender training’ . Their crime was sharing or liking two news articles about transgender issues on their private Facebook pages.

Linda McCarthy and Sue Clarke were reprimanded because some precious petals complained about the articles. One of which said trans rights should not automatically trump the rights of other groups.

The other was of UK Prime Minister  Boris Johnson stating that ‘biological males should not be competing in female sporting events’.

After being ordered to issue a public apology and undergo gender training the two refused and resigned from the party/

What all this has to do with animal justice is anyone’s guess but it’s a reminder that you cannot and should not judge a party from their name.

Whether they call themselves independents, teal, animal justice or some other innocuous sounding name, if you peel back the outer skin to what’s inside, you’ll find a deep crimson, representative of collectivism and group think.