Negative: lacking positive or affirmative qualities, such as enthusiasm, interest, or optimism.
A cynic: believing that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere.
Mayor of Rockhampton Region wanted to paint me as ‘part of the problem’ for my comments in this column last Wednesday!
I think anyone who has been reading this column over the past 5 years would find positive, affirmative qualities of enthusiasm, interest and optimism for Rockhampton and Central Queensland.
Passion for this region is the reason for my persistence in writing about it.
Perhaps touch cynical when mentioning politics though.
I don’t believe I’m alone in this though.
About 6000 people didn’t bother to vote in last year’s Rockhampton Regional Council elections. Just didn’t turn up to the booth, lodge a postal or a pre-poll vote. Add that to the 1413 that voted informally for Mayor and you have about 1 in 7 of Rockhampton’s registered voters very likely indicating their disinterest in local politics or cynicism. ‘Don’t care’ effectively came third in choice for Mayor.
That’s registered voters. In Mark Latham’s book ‘The Political Bubble’ he laments the large number of 18-24 year olds who don’t even register, “among the best-educated cohort of Australians, the ones with the greatest long-term stake in the country’s future, a significant number could not care less about party politics”. Latham goes on to explain why he believes this cynicism of politics exists. Being a former federal Labor Party leader now on the outer for his ‘Diary’ it makes an interesting read.
Add recent (and past) travel rorts, politician’s keenness for alternative facts and read the book Downfall by Aaron Patrick; it’s not hard to understand support for minor (often limited issue) parties is growing along with informal or not voting.
Latham actually proposes non-compulsory voting in the interests of better government!
I want Rockhampton and Central Queensland to strive for better. Better in developing opportunities encouraging our children to stay here or at least later return bringing their experiences to add more diversity and strength to the region. That’s why I’ve used this column to support initiatives like C2C (Communication to Careers) to get more business people to meet and converse with our high school students. Why I support Startup Capricorn, so people don’t feel they have to leave the region to develop their ideas (there is a Meetup on Tuesday see their Facebook page for details). I’m also currently pushing Click on CQ, a multi-media shop local campaign (you can hear more about that at the Capricorn Chamber of Commerce meeting on Monday – see their Facebook page for details).
It is with a broad brush stroke that I express my cynicism of politics. I actually admire those who stand for office, particularly independents. Possibly all politicians start with the right intentions to make things better; some manage to maintain this focus.
Congratulations to those who do and I strongly encourage them to continue. It’s a difficult job, more so in a democracy, where opinions can be freely offered.
I also strongly encourage more people to take a real interest in government. Government has a significant role in striving for better.
As former President Obama said, “if people are paying attention, then we get good government and good leadership. And when we get lazy, as a democracy and civically start taking shortcuts, then it results in bad government and politics”.
‘We get the government we deserve’.