Hawker Britton

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As with much of the world, the political situation has changed rapidly in Australia over recent years. People demanding changes they’ve not been receiving from the major political parties have undertaken disruption of the two-party political system, fleeing to express deep concerns to independents and greens under the preferential voting system .

‘First past the post’ voting in America doesn’t lend itself to changing the two-party system, so disruptors have joined the extreme right wing of politics to elect a nincompoop real estate magnate as president of the United States. This clearly represents a vote of no confidence in status quo rather than confidence in Donald Trump’s socioeconomic ability.

There remain more than ‘rusted-on’ supporters of the Labor and Liberal National coalition parties in Australia. However, more and more people having been fleeing from parties committed rather to big business interests, to finance, insurance and real estate–the FIRE sector–than to the Australian people themselves.

The underlying theme seems to be that the world has become overly indebted and ‘financialised’ under ‘business-first‘ practices, such that people’s cost-of-living has become impossible.

The major Australian parties still haven’t got the message that if people have money to spend, instead of current impossible levels of household debt, both small and big business will prosper, along with all Australians. The desertion trend will likely remain if the parties proceed on their self-serving, politically destructive course.

Let’s trust independents and greens urgently press whatever minority government is elected to reform a disastrous tax regime that fosters property speculation, unaffordable housing and private debt over real wealth creation and a general prosperity.