It's Time

We often think of politics in Australia as rather slow moving. Our political parties have been quite stable for some time, with the slow rise of the Greens coinciding with the demise of the Democrats as the "third option" or protest alternative to the two major political forces that have battled it out for supremacy almost since Federation.
That's been the tussle, though - the Labor party, backed by a labour movement, & their opposition, often a coalition of conservative & centrist ideologies that find common ground more in what they are opposed to rather than what they believe in.

Every so often, the name changes, the make-up, the basic ideology, but that opposition to the labour movement keeps the electorate's interest enough to ensure that, no matter how dramatic the circumstances of the party's birth, supporters will be found within the span of a government's term.

The Liberal party has had the longest run of the right-wing parties.
The only ructions to touch it seriously have been the creation of the Democrats (now defunct) & the merging of Liberal & National party interests in two states (still members of the coalition).
You could say that this is indicative of the different states' political needs, or else that, at its core, the Liberal party is past ready for its next incarnation - whatever that may be.

Each of the historical changes has been under the guidance & leadership of someone who was or became a great political leader. They were people within the political system who thought that their party had lost its way & had the courage to do something about it - Hughes, Lyons, Menzies.
In two of those cases, the party had reacted to their opposition by forcing them out.

Perhaps it's time for another leader to take that definitive step & create something new, something relevant, from the ashes of the conservative movement & bring it back to the middle ground from which it can show itself to be a palatable alternative to the labour movement.
By all means, leave the Liberal Party as it is, but I think that Malcolm Turnbull should leave it & forge a new movement more in keeping both with his own very liberal (small 'l') beliefs, & as far away as possible from the arch-conservatives who have been molding Liberal Party thinking for quite some time now.
Regardless of party donations, I believe that the electorate would appreciate a more considered centrist approach than what we are seeing now from the party of such heritage.

I can fully envisage a situation where these new liberals would still be a part of the coalition - it makes perfect sense - but I can also see a situation where they would be considered the natural leaders of the party even if they were the minority partners.

I believe that Malcolm does represent a distinct shift in thinking for the Liberal Party, & it is obvious that he is not comfortable being in the same party as his conservative cohorts.
The question is whether he has the courage to do something about it.

Easter Stocking

My wife went shopping last night & bought the last loaf of bread in Christendom.

Yes, it was the night before Good Friday, & all through the shops, everyone was busy filling their trolleys like there was an oncoming apocalypse, rather than simply a day when the supermarkets wouldn't be open.
Why do we go through this farce every year?
I ask this of myself every year, & so it's time I asked anyone who happens to read this - which is like asking myself, but without the reflective bit.

Every year, at Easter, people run off to the shops on Thursday to stock up because they won't be able to shop again until Saturday. That's just a day.
I remember when I used to shop only once a week. It wasn't on Friday. I could cope.
Am I the only person who can either plan for shopping days in advance, or else not go shopping on one particular day?

What compounds the problem is that the supermarkets will specifically understock on everything but Easter eggs. They'll make a stupendous effort to get rid of their stock of Easter eggs, & will clear shelves of food so as to promote whatever they've had stored away in warehouses since last Easter.
You can possibly understand that the perishables - bread in particular - might not proliferate on the shelves, knowing that there'd be no-one to buy stale bread the day after.
This might contribute to the rush to get the last loaf of bread on a Thursday night, but to the point where there is no bread left?
It was Thursday - late night shopping - & there were several good hours of shopping remaining when the last loaf left.

On the other side of the problem, why do we continue to close the shops on Good Friday & Sunday at all?

It's all well & good to say it's a religious celebration, but the fact remains that we don't have a state religion & there is an increasing number of people in this country who are either atheistic or practicing non-Christians.
There is no excuse for laws that impose a religious observance on the populace.
I honestly don't care who eats meat on Good Friday - that's not my problem.

There have been many arguments in the past - often from unions - that having shops open at Easter & Christmas means that staff will be expected to work & not be with their families.
I put it to you that it's time for every Muslim part-time shop assistant to put their hand up & say "I'm free!" I'll guarantee Coles & Woolies would have more than a skeleton staff on hand to cope with those who would rather shop than spend time with their family.

Obviously, this argument equally applies to penalty rates in general.
If you want people to spend time with their families, then don't encourage them to work by paying them more on weekends.

Anyway, it's Good Friday. I've had my toast for breakfast.
The shops are closed. I'm bored.
I'll go read a book until I get around to some religious observance.