Tassie election analysis - Libs to form Govt?, page-74

''The problem as you articulate is that voters don't want to see plans, but expect them to be there to back up promises. ''

it's deeper than that in my view

Australian politicians are a reflection of the Australian populace -

and in that there is a spectacular lack of vision, an almost total lack of goals

if we look at history - what were the 'visions' -------------- ok, Hawke comes to mind 'by ... there will be no child in poverty'

now - forget if it happened or not - look at it

it's a visionary statement ---------- built on the relief of a negative

it's not a goal or dream like JFK ------- '' We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon... We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too''

now ------------ that's a vision.

Australia doesn't do visions, doesn't do radical, doesn't do big

all Australia does is cut cut cut, low tax, relief from pain, stagger from one year to the next

no moonshots for Oz -------------- too big, too far, what's the point, what'll it do for me - etc etc


look at Howard--------- 'we thought we'd be alright if we just watched the spending'

wow - bloody nation building stuff right there