Cory Bernardi

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Here you will find news, views and ideas from Australian Senator Cory Bernardi.

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Is This an Impossible Dream?

I have always maintained that politics is a vocation.

If one were not genuinely called to serve, individuals could scarcely be expected to put up with the slings and arrows of political office. However, we do it willingly and with equanimity, in the hope our contribution to public life will actually make a difference to the nation.

Yet politicians are viewed with an almost unparalleled level of cynicism and distrust by the electorate. Coupled with these feelings there seems to be real despair towards the political system in general.

It's obvious at every general election, that many voters resent the fact they have to take ten minutes out of their Saturday to determine the political leadership of the country.

Where Self Interest is Less Than Super

In politics, as in life, it can be tempting to take a short term outlook driven by self interest. The longer term plans that are actually espoused by many of our political leaders are usually done to comply with the 'vision thing' - the need to be forward looking in order to achieve electoral success. Mr Rudd’s 2020 Summit and his 2050 emissions targets are clear examples of spin over substance.

There are, of course, some spectacular exceptions to this premise.

The Snowy Mountains Scheme, some defence projects and fluoridisation of water, are just a few that spring to mind. However, surely one of the most important positive changes was the introduction of the compulsory superannuation system in 1992.

Big Government - Bigger Problems

A recent global trend in government is to categorise any issue as so big, so challenging and so complex that only government can deal with it.

Consider for a moment the global financial crisis. The solution isn't to let banks who lent too much money to people who couldn't hope to pay it back just take their losses. No, that wouldn't be fair. The government needs to spend money it doesn't have to pay the bonuses of the failed bank executives.

Scared about global warming? Surely we all can't be that scared because only around 10% of us are paying the extra cost of using green energy. Hardly a strong endorsement by the people of 'the greatest moral issue of our time'. But don't let that get in the way of government mandating we all have to use a minimum amount of renewable energy. After all, doesn't government know best?

Perhaps you think our children are getting too fat and support the Australian Government's war on obesity.  Well I ask you to think again.