The Centre of Nowhere

Today's poll is an absolute dog for the Government; a rancid fish slap across the countenance. It's a very long time until the next election, more than two years, and just how bad this can get is anyone's guess. This is what a Government gets for crapping out on many of the policies that were central to its last major electoral victory. Only on the economy can it still claim the moral ground, but they can't even claim credit properly. Wayne Swan gets a bullshit question on ABC radio and he drops his water glass. They constantly play defence, and lose, so they play more defence.

This all started when Kevin Rudd shelved the ETS. The bottom fell out of the numbers, and there has been a long slow roll towards the abyss ever since. After the ETS decision was made, the Government has not set the agenda and has been dragged around by the opposition, the polls and its own inaccurate interpretation of what the electorate wants. Sure, when you're in government it helps to have the public onside, but it also helps to be making decisions you actually believe in, and they just aren't. This government is not being the government it wants to be simply because it is scared.

Look at what they're actually doing. Refugees are going to be sent to Malaysia. Malaysia. Why? What made the pacific solution shit was not the fact that it was in the pacific. Gillard seems to think that she can get away with doing essentially the same thing because Malaysia is in a different ocean, therefore avoiding the 'Return to Pacific Solution' headline that would cause the Labor caucus to commit seppuku on the parliamentary lawn. That is just disingenuous bullshit.

They wimped out on the mining tax, environmental policy, and welfare. They dropped the ball on education and rooted their own health reform, all because that can't hack getting bitch-slapped by Kochie on Sunrise.

It's said that to win elections you must win the centre, and this is for the most part is true, but you have to have a base vote on either the left or the right of the spectrum to begin with. Labor has alienated the left, and has no chance of winning the right. All that's left are the mercenary; mortgage saddled swinging voters, who spend the pre-election period totting up the proposed tax benefits of both parties on their iPhones before they decide who to vote for. 30 pieces of silver and a 10% increase to the Family Tax Benefit Part A.

There's almost no way back from this. They've got to stop playing the keeping everybody happy game, because it's obviously not working. Let's just have some proper progressive policy and fuck the polls. If you're going to lose, lose for doing something you believe in, instead meekly having your arse handed to you because you stand for nothing.