We should brace ourselves for the possibility of minority government after the election on March 24. Given that we now have fixed four year terms in NSW a ‘hung’ Parliament would be the worst possible outcome for the State. It matters not which major political party forms minority government, Labor or Liberal, the result will be the same. Political chaos for the next four years!
Independent candidates are in a unique position to hold a minority government to ransom in exchange for their support on important pieces of legislation.
Their recent record in acting as a quasi-political party in NSW speaks for itself. Nick Greiner was the most reformist Premier NSW has had in decades. Under his watch we were a progressive State leading the way in economic reforms that brought enormous benefits to our State economy. We were indeed the ‘Premier State’.
Greiner’s political demise was brought about by a ‘coalition of independents’ which included John Hatton, Clover Moore and Peter McDonald In alleging that Nick Greiner acted corruptly in what became known as ‘the Metherall Affair’ the Independents preempted our judicial system and demanded his political head on a plate. They became the hanging judges in a hung Parliament!
Greiner’s forced resignation stopped political and economic reform in NSW in its tracks. His successor, John Fahey, found it impossible to meet the growing demands of the ‘coalition of independents’ who soon became intoxicated with the political power they wielded. Nick Greiner was subsequently cleared of corruption charges but the writing was on the wall for the Fahey government.
Bob Carr’s narrow victory in 1995 extended the influence of the Independents however landslide victories in 1999 and 2003 made them virtually irrelevant to the political process. Nevertheless Bob Carr was an astute political leader and kept them in his tent as a form of political insurance.
The Carr government will be remembered more for its spin than its substance. Carr was the major beneficiary of the Howard-Costello economic reforms at the national level. He inherited Nick Greiner’s vision for the 2000 Olympics and rode the sharemarket and property booms of the late 1990s.
As we progress through the current election campaign the policies of both major parties are closely scrutinized and costed by reputable economic institutions. Not so the independents who can tell people what they want to hear without ever being accountable for their actions or their promises.
Voters need to be aware of the consequences of electing a minority government on March 24. If they try to hedge their bets by voting for independent political candidates they will put at risk the reforms necessary for us to regain our title as ‘the Premier State’
Tags: Labor, Liberal, My Opinion, Politics
