Krazy Krystal's Laboratory

How politics can ruin your breakfast

The flow of information is a curious thing, within any social circle, especially families. I was once chastised by sister#3 because she found out i was moving house and hadn't told her. I suspect that the thing that annoyed her was not that I was moving, not that I hadn't told her directly, but that the knowledge filtered through to her from her husband's aunt and uncle. To be fair, they had recently been staying with me here in York, but still, it is odd to hear news about those in your immediate family circle from those outside.

However, to be fair, this aunt and uncle are in fact a good source of local knowledge. It's important to me to keep up to date with current affairs (not the TV show) and politics back home, and so when the Australian opposition party leader lost a leadership challenge, and that Kevin Rudd was the new labor leader, I found out via an email! Thanks for that :)

I had suspected that this change was in the wings, again from a rather unusual source. Kevin Rudd recently published a few articles in "The Monthly", the Australian current affairs magazine I subscribe to. In these he spoke out about the prevalence of extreme christian values in the political scene. He argued that the christian philosophy is essentially an "exhortation to social action" and emphasised issues such as poverty and social justice, above those of the mighty dollar. He also had a few words to say about the current prime minister - "Mr Howard is a clever politician who often succeeds in masking the essential self-interest of his political project with a veneer of "duty to the nation"." When I read these it was clear to me that he was trying to raise his public profile and appeal to the lefty-labor lovers out there. He was scathing in his attack of the "neo-liberal" milieu of our current parliament. And I was right behind him.

So when the cheery email from my aunt-and-uncle-in-law arrived, I was pleased to read that Kevin Rudd had stepped up to the plate. The ALP desperately needs re-vitalisation. Rudd sounded like he would provide true "opposition", rather than the casual compliance seen under previous skies.

However, today, I was desperately disappointed to read that Kevin Rudd, along with John Howard, are not in favour of the proposed changes to stem cell legislation. I am bitterly disappointed that, in one of his first major policy votes as leader of the opposition party, Rudd will ALIGN himself with the far christian right, to block this proposal. I have spoken previously here about the issue of stem cell research, but aside from that, I am just so angry that he has capitulated on the very first issue to hand.

Grr.. I got so cross just writing this post that I had to go eat a mango. Odd seeing as it is winter. But it was from Ecuador. Organic, but high on food miles, hmmm, does that make it even? I digress.. but at least now, I am calm.

Am I just naive to be so constantly surprised and hurt by the hypocrisy of politicians?

I'm sorry Kevin Rudd, but you're off my christmas card list.

posted by Dr Krystal @ 8:31 am