Politicians I admire
July 25 2009, 12:06am
There aren’t many current politicians who impress me with their ideas. Some of today’s crop are canny political operators and media manipulators, but there are few who strike me as “ideas men” who want to make a difference. The criteria I used in selecting the unlikely trio of Brendon Grylls, Martin Ferguson and Tony Abbott included the fact I had to agree with them, at least most of the time. These three stood out as men who have made a difference, with big picture aspirations that are achievable. Tony Abbott (Liberal) Shadow Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Studied briefly for the priesthood, attended Oxford University where he was a prominent boxer, opposed a republic during the referendum campaign, became Employment Minister and later Health Minister in the Howard Government. He has previously accused some sections of the Australia public of “suffering self-imposed historical and cultural amnesia” in relation to Australia’s British heritage and acting like “teenagers blowing raspberries at their parents”. In 1998, Abbott established a trust fund called “Australians for Honest Politics Trust” to help bankroll civil court cases against the One Nation Party and its leader Pauline Hanson. His first girlfriend had a son who she put up for adoption. Abbott became aware of the boy’s identity in 2004, but later DNA testing confirmed he was not the father. In his book Battlelines, to be released next week, Abbott warns that Liberal Party attitudes on federalism are obsolete, divorced from public opinion and make for policy failure. He says a radical rethink is essential to deliver decent policies in education, health, public hospitals and water. Martin Ferguson (Labor) Minister for Resources and Energy. Comes from a Catholic Labor family and was ACTU president from 1990–96. Entered parliament in 1996 and immediately became a shadow minister. I met him while advocating for greater investment by superannuation funds in regional Australia. He was genuinely interested in the idea. In 2005, Ferguson addressed an Australian Uranium Conference and said: “We as a community have to be part of the ever-complex question of how we clean up the world’s climate. And part of that debate is going to be nuclear power.” He has never deviated from a pro-uranium stance and opposed the former WA Labor Government’s ban on uranium mining. Ferguson is an old-school Labor politicians who is pro jobs, pro mining and pro development. He’s a level head in the cabinet on climate change. Brendon Grylls (Nationals) Minister for Regional Development (Western Australia). Entered state parliament in November 2001 after winning a byelection for the seat of Merredin after Hendy Cowan retired. In June 2005 Grylls challenged then leader Max Trenorden to become the new leader. He refused to consider a coalition with the Liberals and seriously contemplated joining with Labor if required to for government after the 2008 election. Grylls single-mindedly pursued a “balance of power” strategy for the Nationals. I met him in February 2006 and thought he was heading in the right direction, but had little chance of success. He persevered and achieved spectacular electoral success, especially in the Mining and Pastoral areas where the Nationals had never been represented. He led the Nationals into an “alliance” with the Liberals, refusing to consider a formal “coalition” and reserving the right to vote against the government, which he has signalled doing on shop trading hours.
