A self-proclaimed political wonk explains Australia’s baffling party system, why he voted Green and how global chaos echoed through our election, writes Dr Alex Vickery-Howe.
“WONK” IS ONE of my favourite words. We should use it more.
It refers to a person obsessed with a narrow field, most commonly the field of politics. While many may choose to use other words to describe me – at least one of which certainly starts with the letter ‘W’ – I’ll wear “wonk” proudly. I can talk politics for hours. I can put senators to sleep. I once visited Alexander Downer’s office to scold him for being Alexander Downer. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time and bored by my trifling existence, albeit cheerfully so.
I have family and friends in the United States and the United Kingdom, some of whom are interested in the results of the recent Australian Federal Election. Or, much like Downer, willing to indulge me for a few minutes. Our political system is a mystery to much of the world, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to explain who the major players are, what’s at stake and why this wonk cast his vote for progress.
I’m also going to highlight how global events have impacted this Australian contest. Specifically, the hard rejection of the political left in the U.S. turned one of our candidates into a Trumpian disciple, if not an emulator, who attempted to capitalise on social dissatisfaction among working-class voters and the algorithm splitting society apart. We learned that game shows don’t work for Australia.
So, come with me now — let the wonk be your guide.
In Australia, many, including myself, predicted a close call between the Labor Party and the Liberal-National Coalition. Historically, these have been our two dominant political parties. For people outside Australia, however, our party-based terminology doesn’t make a lick of sense.
I’ll try to unpack it.
The Labor Party is, as one would expect, roughly analogous to the Labour Party in the UK. We decided to be different and drop the ‘u’ in Labour. We convicts do love to rebel. In actual fact, evidence suggests we did this partly due to American influence. For those in the United States, the closest analogy to our Labor Party would be your Democratic Party, although Labor – in speeches, at least – would identify as more left-leaning.
The Liberal-National Coalition, meanwhile, is closer to the Tories in the UK or the Republicans in the U.S. The Coalition is an alliance between two conservative strands, who outwardly pretend to see eye to eye while negotiating a fractious urban/rural divide. Where it gets ridiculously confusing is vis-à-vie the word “liberal” being linked to our most socially traditionalist mainstream party. I’ve had students who’ve been tricked by this and voted for the wrong people. “Coalition” is a handier way to remember them.
Some pollsters predicted a Labor majority this election, while others said the Coalition could gain seats. Pollsters may as well be reading tea leaves at this point. The mood on the street was divisive. In the shadow of President Trump’s win, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Circling around the leading parties are many smaller but influential groups stretching out both to the extreme Left and the extreme Right. This election, we even met a group called Trumpet of Patriots. On face value, they sound like members of the world’s dreariest orchestra, but they are, in fact, a fringe party led by a jolly Jabba the Hutt mining magnate with enough money to repeatedly try to build a new Titanic, yet not enough to directly contribute to the many causes he dispassionately recites from an autocue.
I say “are”, but I think “were” may be more appropriate. The party is over.
Apparently, Trumpet of Patriots only brought together a list of candidates in about four weeks — nothing says “patriotism” like a negligent vetting process. None of them demonstrated a talent for the trumpet, as far as I’m aware, so we assume it’s the ‘Trump’ part of ‘Trumpet’ they wanted voters to focus on. A few of these aspiring politicians are in legal hot water or facing criminal charges. I suppose that makes the comparison stick.
Speaking of legal hot water, convicted fraudster Pauline Hanson remains another major player on the far-right side of the Australian political divide, with her One Nation party having chased news headlines since I was a teenager. We thought we’d booted her out of any sphere of public relevance in the 1990s, when the drag queen Pauline Pantsdown rose to fame, but she’s still out there with something like a reputation and that’s an indictment on us. It’s baffling to me that Pauline’s political career has lasted long enough to become a dynasty.
Does this wonk expect these senseless parties to have a seat at the parliamentary table in elections to come? Yes, probably. Class division in Australia is still very real. Labor cannot afford to be smug. I’ll get to that momentarily.
First, I should out myself by revealing my own political bias. I cast my vote, as I always have, for the Australian Greens, our most environmentally conscious party. This surprises my colleagues because I’m critical of the Greens — but, hey, wonks enjoy a good whinge.
While my defence of the outgoing Australian Greens leader has always been qualified at best, let me reassure anyone at home still rushing to “educate” me about not being “nice enough” that I used my preference vote – yet again – to put the Greens first, knowing it would ultimately be a vote for the Australian Labor Party and incumbent Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
One can be critical of one’s own team. For a democracy to thrive, we should always demand more attention for the issues that move us, even – or, perhaps, especially – from the people we cast our vote for.
Preferential voting is a gift Australians should celebrate. It allows us to send a message to the major parties and direct policy. Or nudge it, at least. I enjoy ticking every box and reminding my local member that I want them to think about the state of the planet more than dirty donations.
An old friend who worked for the Australian Labor Party actually encouraged me to cast my vote in this way, as it counts as a vote for Labor while advising them to adopt climate-conscious and animal-friendly policy. U.S. readers, please take note: preferential voting could save you. The ability to rank candidates by preference, knowing you are ultimately casting a vote for, say, Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, but sending a clear message to them along the way, provides valuable data to the parties about what voters truly want.
I want what I’ve always wanted. Less cruelty. More compassion. Progressive values. With this in mind, I support Prime Minister Albanese, but I hope some of that wider message on the environment cuts through. Labor’s record on that issue has been less than ideal.
And so, we arrive, for those still playing overseas, to the election result: a landslide for Albanese and Labor, and a defeat for Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton. The Greens were humbled on the more extreme Left; the Trumpets fell silent on the Far-Right. There is a clear centre-left mandate from this result.
Friends who work for Labor texted on the night to say, ‘We are the natural choice to govern now’, but I’m very cautious about that.
I agreed with Annabel Crabb:
“In a binary choice, the public rejected Dutton, but those cost-of-living issues won’t go away.”
International friends know what happens when the Left gets smug and class struggles are neglected. Failing to close the gap over the next four years will be terminal for Labor, as will ignoring ongoing concerns around ethical sustainability.
This wonk will be watching to see which way the national mood turns. But turn it will. No party is the “natural choice” forever.
Finally, for those outside Australia, the only thing you really need to know about our national politics is this: there were two great men who stood victorious on election night. One of them is the Prime Minister; the other is a pollster, a personality, and a legend. We’ll miss you, Mr Green.
Dr Alex Vickery-Howe is an award-winning playwright and social commentator. He teaches creative writing, screen and drama at Flinders University.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License
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