Election 2003
Stephen here. There’s an election here in 12 days. This has encouraged me to read up on how things work here a bit. It confused me at first but I think I have it now.
The coming-elections are for the state of New South Wales (NSW). I don’t know if the other states are currently having elections too, but I don’t think they are – I reckon I would have heard something as I’ve been reading The Sydney Morning Herald every day and watching local news. In NSW Labor (no U – the buffoons) are in government at the moment, with Bob Carr as their leader (The Premier).
Very Australian, having a government leader called Bob. In the UK he’d surely be called Robert. It was never Jim Major was it? And Maggie Thatcher was just a nickname. I’m sure there are people in the UK who think we’re being incredibly liberal calling Blair Tony, rather than Anthony (if that’s his name, it may not be). Again, insufferable warmonger is just a nickname for Mr Blair.
The main opposition are the Liberals, the right wing party – presumably the equivalent of the Tories in the UK, only more electable one would think. Their leader is a 33 year old man called John Brogden. The Greens are also here, and some independent candidates and smaller parties, but I think I’ve listed the main two. The likely winners seem to be Labor, so the status quo looks like it’ll be maintained.
Both leaders seem pretty amiable. It’s interesting coming at this from a state of ignorance, as I have no preconceptions about these people.
The state governments only deal with state issues, so the Prime Minister’s apparent unwillingness to listen to the people and his keenness to jump into an ill-thought-through war against Iraq supporting the aggressor (the US) is not currently being brought up as an issue.
The state government has an upper and lower house – though unlike the two houses in the UK both houses are elected.
Each state has this system of government, and then on top of this, covering all states is the Federal Government (which also has an upper and lower-house). The Liberals are in power at the moment, with John Howard, the Prime Minister, the leader.
Do these many different governments seem a bit much to you? They do to me! Australia has a population of, what, 20 million people? Do they need two-house state governments for each of the six states (NSW, Queensland, Western Australia, Southern Australia, Tasmania. Victoria – I think that’s the lot) and then a federal government as well? (I’m not sure what the Northern Territories and the Australian Capital Territory do – but they’re not states.) This is not including the local councils, which they also have. Sounds like too much bureaucracy to me. I may try to change things while I’m here and sort out the former-colony for Her Majesty.
Movie Overload!
Given that we’re on a budget, and tend to be wandering around Sydney or going on trips when we’re not working, we tend to collapse in front of the TV in the evenings. Work is really exhausting us too at the moment. I guess that’s a combination of not having been to work for a month, and not being used to the heat.
We have an old TV in our little apartment, which doesn’t even have a remote control. That’s right – we’re really roughing it! Getting up to change the channel is a hell of an effort, I can tell you. I feel a bit unclean watching this little screen, especially as the picture’s not that good and I’m used to a beautiful big Sony Wega flatscreen widescreen TV. Anne thinks watching the pathetic little git of a telly we have now will be good for me. She likes to see me squirm.
There are plenty of movies on network TV here, especially at the weekend. Let me update you with the films we watched in the last few day, whilst exhausted:
Ransom – Mel Gibson in an entertaining film I saw at the pictures when it came out. Good, solid thriller with a good cast of baddies. Four stars.
Forces of Nature – Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck in a road-movie with BA trying to get to his wedding (to miserable-whingeing-Abby from ER) and meeting SB on the way. Pretty poor in lots of ways, but gains a star for having an ending I liked. Ben Affleck’s character is called Ben in the film, which I found a bit distracting. Two and a half stars.
Big Daddy – I’ve generally tried to avoid Adam Sandler movies, but found myself laughing out loud a few times in this silly film, despite myself. Two and a half stars.
So they’re not terrible films, but I’m on the look out for a cheap VCR so I can rent films I missed at the cinema and do want to see, rather than be forced to watch films I missed at the cinema for good reason. Obviously I’d rather get a cheap DVD player, but the TV’s so old it doesn’t even have the right sockets for a DVD player. Pity me.
Anne would probably allow me to buy a VCR (and then sell it on when we leave Sydney). (Not that I need my girlfriend’s permission for everything I do – I don’t.) She may be a bit annoyed if I arrive home one night with a 32 inch widescreen TV.