An Australian Donald Trump-style politician is around the corner, by Jennifer Oriel.
Unless the major parties correct their course, it seems likely that a Donald Trump-style politician will rise to prominence in Australia. The appeal of populist and nationalist politicians lies in their novelty, their revival of patriotism and pride in Western culture. ..
During the past week, Australians have debated immigration, the PC media establishment and free speech. On Friday, asylum-seeker Nur Islam entered a bank and injured dozens when he set himself on fire. Reportedly, Islam was angry because his welfare payment was late. His friends said he was struggling financially but apparently had sufficient funds to send money back to his country of origin. Consistent with PC thought, refugee activists refused to hold Islam responsible. …
Drain the swamp, especially the ABC:
Abbott also tried to “drain the swamp” long before it was a Trump campaign slogan. His primary focus was excessive government spending on public institutions that had become little more than activist hubs, among them the Australian Human Rights Commission and the ABC. The behaviour of ABC staff is a frequent reminder of how right Abbott was. The Australian obtained audio last week of ABC staff laughing about how they earn high incomes while fellow Australians suffer economic pain due to record low wage growth. ABC editors tried to conceal the audio in which reporter David Taylor and program host Eleanor Hall gloat about being “better off” than workers in the private sector. …
The major parties are too globalist and politically correct:
The mainstream choice is the conservative wing of the Liberal Party, but its most potent members have been resigned to the backbench …. Turnbull is a progressivist at heart yet to demonstrate a commitment to limited government by slashing spending. …
So who?
Pauline Hanson is most commonly associated with populist politics in Australia, but her historical criticism of Asian immigration may well limit her popularity and she lacks Trump’s rhetorical flair. Among Coalition politicians, popular conservatives include Abbott, Andrew Hastie, Peter Dutton and Cory Bernardi. The Labor Party and the Greens will increase populist appeals by gesture politics such as the ALP’s proposal for a royal commission into the banking sector.
Whoever emerges as the Australian Trump will have an unusual historical advantage because the question in Western democracies is no longer which major party will win the next election but which minor party will hold the balance of power.
hat-tip Stephen Neil and Barry
