THIS week’s US elections present a good opportunity to thank God we’re not America, and celebrate that Australia is the best country in the world.
First of all, much as Donald Trump and Kamela Harris dominated election coverage, the US’s elections were in fact for all 435 seats in their House of Representatives and 34 of their 100 Senate seats. Thankfully, Australian elections have not adopted the American presidential style, though republicans want to risk us going in that direction. Australians focus on local candidates, party policies and who will best represent their community in Canberra.
Elections shouldn’t be about two dominant personalities but about policy. I have been horrified at the US presidential candidates’ personal character attacks on mental characteristics or intellectual acumen, the shallow publicity appearances and emotive claims about a single election’s significance.
Thankfully and by strong contrast, our recent Council elections have been conducted with relative civility and I am confident our upcoming Federal election will focus on policy, not personal attacks.
We also check voters against their registered details and the Electoral Commission usually counts quickly enough for a clear result on election night. We have a strong tradition of parties accepting election results that I hope will long continue.
Australia is the best country in the world because our founding fathers in 1901 built a Constitution and political system known as the “Washminster” system, taking the best of Westminster in the UK and Washington in the US.
While we mirror the US having a House of Representatives, Senate and federation of states, we also adopted the British tradition of a government accountable to parliament, a vibrant opposition and of course His Majesty King Charles III, not a President, but as our head of state.
I encourage all generations to talk with each other about the US elections and why our Australian democracy is the global gold standard – and needs to be kept that way.
I also congratulate all local government candidates for standing, and particularly those that were elected, and look forward to working with them for your community’s benefit.
