Thursday, April 12, 2007
Preselection Season approaches
It's that time of the election cycle again when local members are furiously trying to prove how important they have been to their party to bolster their chances of gaining preselection.
In at least one of the major parties, part of the application process calls for sitting members to list all of their media appearances, speeches, photos etc to prove how hard they have been working for the party (The emphasis is on work done that aids the party, not the electorate. This is a common theme with political parties.)
It has become very obvious in the last couple of months that my local member is making a concerted effort to raise their profile. Every chance to make any public comment - no matter how inane - is seized. The member has smartened up their appearance showing a vast improvement in grooming. Every photo opportunity is taken even if the member has no apparent connection with the event.
My local member is going to all this effort because they know the odds are against them in the looming preselection contest. This member originally accepted an offer of one term in office after faction bosses found their first choice unelectable. They needed a caretaker and my member was offered a single term only. The offer clearly had some appeal - according to their spouse, my member "never had even the slightest interest in politics before we got a call offering the position". The spouse was relieved that they would never again have to deal with the stress of an election campaign because "they're only giving us one term".
Now having tasted life as an MP it seems my member is going to renege on their deal with the faction that put them into office and is going to fight that faction to retain the endorsement. I find the irony exquisite.
It brings 'biting the hand that feeds' to a new level and reinforces my belief that the current crop of MP's of all persuasions is, with very few exceptions, among the most morally bankrupt and offensive group to have ever populated a Parliament.
In at least one of the major parties, part of the application process calls for sitting members to list all of their media appearances, speeches, photos etc to prove how hard they have been working for the party (The emphasis is on work done that aids the party, not the electorate. This is a common theme with political parties.)
It has become very obvious in the last couple of months that my local member is making a concerted effort to raise their profile. Every chance to make any public comment - no matter how inane - is seized. The member has smartened up their appearance showing a vast improvement in grooming. Every photo opportunity is taken even if the member has no apparent connection with the event.
My local member is going to all this effort because they know the odds are against them in the looming preselection contest. This member originally accepted an offer of one term in office after faction bosses found their first choice unelectable. They needed a caretaker and my member was offered a single term only. The offer clearly had some appeal - according to their spouse, my member "never had even the slightest interest in politics before we got a call offering the position". The spouse was relieved that they would never again have to deal with the stress of an election campaign because "they're only giving us one term".
Now having tasted life as an MP it seems my member is going to renege on their deal with the faction that put them into office and is going to fight that faction to retain the endorsement. I find the irony exquisite.
It brings 'biting the hand that feeds' to a new level and reinforces my belief that the current crop of MP's of all persuasions is, with very few exceptions, among the most morally bankrupt and offensive group to have ever populated a Parliament.
# posted by Yakbladder @ 10:57 PM 
