Why I joined the Palmer Party?

Brian Cain, one of our regular writers was announced as a candidate for The Palmer Party on Sunday 9th June and today he writes for our Starts at Sixty Community to explain why he, as a former independent has chosen to join the party.  

My sudden and short delve into politics has proven to be an eye opener way past anything I had imagined. The level of failed democracy, collusion and general disrespect for anyone other than political scientists within the realms of so called democracy go way beyond my imagination.

After dropping a minor party for gross indulgence in the things I have mentioned and standing as an independent based on a proven recipe of the past more people spoke to me. With the assistance of my family I travelled all over the electorate listening to the same repeated concerns. In fact becoming a campaigner is growing ever more difficult because the current ways of Canberra bear so much distain among the public even I, a coal face worker with common dislike of political scientists, am immediately put in the politician basket. This gives the current status quo of collaboration, business lobbying and bureaucratic bungling a way to stay in place; the perpetrators put the Australian public off pitching anyone standing against them by their own disapproval rating.

All major or minor parties are governed by front bench agendas in collaboration with powerful lobby groups and owners of the press. They conveniently ask each other questions via a little wooden box in the lower house, answers are hastily scripted and the figure heads theatrically brain wash a disinterested public. It’s then off for a latté together to work out the next move toward a life pension. We know all these things, but even those whom take on the task are held at arms length by a wanting public. How do we get past this?

One thing is for sure, courage, a track record help, or I would not have gained the attention of Palmer United. People suggested I had courage beyond their threshold for dropping a party’s endorsement and stating why, then launching as an independent, I thought it was essential; fear never entered my mind.

Somewhere there is always a Ted Mack, Graham Campbell or Peter Andren itching to gather the converted. What if a person could bring 150 of them together and topple a duopoly of identical intent, where there is no competition just repetition. It’s not the system or policies that are deficient but the way they are interpreted then used. The system currently operates as a dictatorship.

Within the current parliament there is an X Goldman Sachs banking operator, the most dangerous person currently stalking to govern, should the person ever gain power we will indeed be a slave to the IMF for eternity.

Over half the parliament is made up of lawyers, a grand thing for the persecuted that need protection, but not in the realms of power where the separation of powers is essential, how many lives have been lost protecting western democratic rights, lest we forget.

As my father often reminded me, countless soldiers did not die to supply wads of money to a chosen few in a far away land earned on the backs of the Australian public from the fields and earth of our great nation; he fought for his sons of which I am one of six. Lawyers writing legislation for lawyers, the separation of powers has been breached. New South Wales, Queensland and California are the most litigated places on earth, it chews up the money of the public purse expanding the network of law makers so far beyond reality it no longer bears relevance to the public.

To break into change those in power have to be played at their own game. Current disillusionment with politics is so high a viable infiltration of duopolistic power is a reality. Where can we get someone with the courage, ideas, money and proven track record of success to complete such a mission?

Firstly we need think like Bradfield, many years ahead, watching the stock market by the second and a high dollar has done nothing for log term Australia. Short sighted politics has turned our parliament it what it is today, a den of short term vipers striking whenever greed is pliable.

I tried alternatives but badly needed an ally, would it come from the ranks of my own creed, the mining sector, after all democracy in Australia was fought with the blood of miners in Ballarat Victoria in 1854, widely accepted to be the birth of democracy in our great land.

Clive Palmer I have watched for a long time with mostly admiration, he’s a miner, builder of projects, taker of no prisoners but a man with a big heart and he is fiercely Australian. He too must have watched with despair as his country was sold off and used as a political bargaining chip with overseas money cartels, but he has remained buoyant playing them at their own game.

Clive has young children and exactly what is going to happen to them should current direction persist, bearing all these things in mind and having Clive enter the political arena I asked for clarification on direction and got it down to the last nut and bolt. The timing was so close it very nearly didn’t happen but seeing eye to eye was achieved by some very efficient people all part of Clive’s network. Will the flag of the fallen miner fly over Canberra with the Australian flag?

Only votes will carry change, Clive clearly states his elected members will be able to cross the floor for conscious division amid social issues, this is how parliament is meant to work, no party line instructions to be followed as is the current arrangement with major parties. I become more aware every day as to how my electorate loads my conscience for when such decisions are necessary.

And what of the scathing comments to do with money and the Titanic 2.  Many current members of parliament are rich beyond most people’s wildest dreams and never done what a struggling Australian considers a day’s work. There is wealth in hard work, when I last saw Clive it was 9.00 pm and he had started at 4.00 am, there is no substitute for hard work and business sense, Clive and his teams earn their money.

The Titanic 2 will indeed sail from Southampton to New York, many times.  This will happen because Clive Palmer and his team will make it happen. It is a business venture, a novelty perhaps but a smart and interesting one, icebergs won’t even feature.

We have five very important policy points;

1) Party officials should not be lobbyists, thereby taking a strong position on paid political lobbyists, saving tax payers dollars and introducing fair policies.

2) Abolish the Carbon Tax.

3) Review the current Australian Government Refugee Policy to ensure Australia is protected and refugees are given opportunities for a better future lifestyle.

4) Creating mineral wealth to continuously contribute to the welfare of the Australian community. This is to be achieved by utilising the mineral resources of Queensland and Western Australia, and incentives from the Commonwealth of Australia to establish downstream processing in the States of Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia; and exporting products at a thigh dollar value, thereby creating more revenue, jobs tax and more facilities.

5) Establishing a system where the people create wealth in various parts of the country and for that wealth to flow back to the Community that generates the wealth. For example; if a particular region creates wealth, a significant percentage of that wealth should go back to the region.

Let it be written, let it be done, its the right thing to do.