Australia's unique political culture

An interesting analysis by a British journalist

Certainly, the brutopia of Rudd's departure adds to the sense that Australia is out of kilter with the rest of the political Anglo-sphere. Its cadres of professional politicians have become more tribalistic, clannish and intensely partisan at a time when office-holders in America and Britain are heading in the opposite direction. By design and through necessity, Barack Obama, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are fashioning a new politics that is more ecumenical, less clannish and genuinely bipartisan. Australian politics is in danger of looking like a throwback. While lawmakers operate still within the Washminster system, the politics is Tammany Hall, right down to the faithful recreations of its bullying ward bosses and brutal machines. If ever the actress Tilda Swinton gets to play her doppelganger in the movie version, it will be a watch-from-behind-the-sofa affair. Animal Kingdom might have fitted as a working title, had it not already been purloined.

via www.bbc.co.uk

Comments

[Matt Moore]

Bryant is overplaying the contrast between the Australia on the one hand & the US/UK on the other. Whilst Obama would prefer a bi-partisan model, few others in Washington seem to want to play that game (e.g. the decidely partisan battle over healthcare). The UK coalition is a marriage of inconvenience- a political situation foisted on both parties that is unlikely to last until the next election.

Looking at the Liberals & the ALP, the striking thing is how similar their current ideologies are - far more so than the US Dems/Reps or even (ironically) the UK Tories/Liberals.

I would suggest that Australia may need a more partisan politics - but definitely less opportunism.

[Proactol Australia]

Australia must follow Obamas politics