The erosion of our democratic system

The erosion of our democratic system

By The AIMN Network on April 7, 2014 • 

Unless
you own a newspaper or a mining company, or are happy to turn a blind
eye to the erosion of our democratic values then it would be difficult
to get an argument from you that the Abbott Government continues to go
from bad to worse.


But one of worse characteristics of this government, and one that
receives little attention, is its determination to silence any dissent.
It is this silencing of dissent and the erosion of our democratic
values that prompted ‘Joe W’ to write this letter to The AIMN:




I’m sick of being called anti-democratic, or a ‘sore loser’ (among
other insults) over the election result and told to swallow this
government’s lies whole. My response to this incorrect assertion and
attempt to silence me is as follows: My complaint is not over the
election result, rather how the election was won and that the Abbott
Coalition is using this result as justification for the erosion of our
democratic system. Here are a few examples off the top of my head from
the few short months under the Abbottocracy:


1. Disbanding of expert governmental panels that give government best
scientific and economic advice from which to enact policy, which is a
way of not being held to account for their decision in the public forum
e.g. Climate Council.


2. The disbanding of committees representing the people and front
line workers of industries and peak bodies giving voice to policy debate
– across the board – silencing the voice of the people in their
respective fields e.g. law reform committee, alcohol and other drugs
council.


3. The aggressive and threatening rhetoric directed towards the
workers of Australian public agencies and expert committees, backed up
by severe cuts and summary disbandment and sackings. Clearly designed to
silence any dissent, even where it may be in the best interest of the
Australian people, adhere to scientific reason and well-founded economic
rationale e.g. latest example being the marine park authority.


4. The stacking of governmental panels with members with clear bias
or conflict of interest, thus ensuring predetermined outcomes of the
governments design. This is not democracy, it is exercise in the
sanitation of dictatorship e.g. a panel of review into renewables headed
by a fervent opponent of wind generated energy, yet another review into
education dismissing the findings of Gonski and headed by an avowed
critic of our open and secular curriculum, the head of the audit of
budget being a representative of big business with a myriad of vested
interest in privatization and corporate expansion.


5. Attacks upon the press, not just the unfounded accusations and
threats leveled against the ABC but also mainstream commercial media,
who are often derided into silence.


6. The attacks upon unions, which like it or not, represent the
interests of Australian workers and their families – many whom have lost
their jobs since the Coalition came to power e.g. setting up a royal
commission against unions, bringing back tough Howard era restrictions
and sanctions against union activities and members.


7. Increase costs to FOIs, increasing barriers for the press and
individual citizens to be able to gain information on governmental
action.


8. The increasingly secretive process of negotiations towards the TPP
– signing over our nation’s sovereign rights to the interests of
multinational corporations with no proper Senate oversight or
representation in these negotiations for representatives for the
interests of the Australian people.


9. Massive cuts to legal aid services. Equality before the law being a
basic principal of democracy and expert representation essential to the
rule of impartiality.


10. The undermining of international law and institutions designed to
protect our freedoms, support peaceful, cohesive and productive
relations, and to give forum to international negotiation and efforts
towards constructive and sustainable objectives e.g. snubbing
international climate change forum, dissing international conventions
and siding with the perpetrators of the most blatant breaches against
liberty.


11. Refusing to make government papers available to opposition
parties (representative of the people) an act of refusal not once seen
by the previous government, despite the numerous requests and attacks of
Australia’s most aggressive opposition.


12. The labeling of any dissent or questioning as unpatriotic and
insinuation of alignment with an ‘enemy’. The usage of the rhetoric of
war in a time of peace as means of shutting down inquiry. The
vilification of peoples, groups and attacks upon the right to protest
and public assembly. The framing of discussion in terms of us and them
and manipulation towards siding citizens against a common enemy. Fear
mongering and the fanning of the flames of hate. The examples here being
too numerous to mention but clearly designed to create a climate of
fear over threats to our way of life and orchestrating a divisiveness
preventing a reasoned examination of issues facing our nation.


Democracy encompasses more than one vote per person every 3 years.
The points listed above clearly demonstrate the aggressive silencing of
the people and an erosion of the institutions of democracy designed to
give a voice to represent the interests of all Australian citizens.