The common good
When, many years ago, the lady with the unruly hairdo uttered her famous and dispassionate condemnation of the human species.
“There is no such thing as society. There are only individuals making their way. The poor shall be looked after by the drip down effect from the rich.”
Successful societies should be built around a common good and we need to examine which political ideology is best placed to build such a society.
In the modern western sense, an enlightened society is a populace of men, women, and children who as a collective desire to express their humanity, work, aspirations, spirituality, art, poetry and play with the richest possible diversity.
It cultivates a common good with equality of opportunity for all.
A society where the health and welfare of all is sacrosanct and access to treatment is assured.
Where the principle that we should treat others in the same manner as we expect them to treat us is indelible in the mind of every citizen. A society that respects science before myth and mysticism.
A society that should be judged by its welcoming, and how well it treats its most vulnerable citizens.
By how well protected we are and how accessible the law is regardless of stature.
So, we need government that is subservient to the will (the common good ethic) of the people and is responsive to public opinion.
So which ideology is best placed at this time in our history to form a government based on serving the common good.
As significant as they are, individual rights and freedoms can never be as important as the common good. They can only ever be an essential component of it.
Bruce Holmes, Portarlington
With the November 26 State Poll in sight, the Andrews government can point to what will be a public transport legacy. Tunnel, loop upgrade, removal of level crossings, airport rail connection etc.
On the debit side, the incumbent’s governance over the course of the pandemic was, at best, abysmal.
Given that Premier Andrews in one guise or another has had since 2007 to create a respectable public health system with same now broken, you would have to say that he has been given more than a fair go.
It’s time for a new broom yet the Liberals, under two-time leader Matthew Guy, offer an underwhelming alternative. (MP Southern Metropolitan and Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier should have been in the chair.)
Locally given exponential population growth – 60,000 within the coastal new estates – both major parties have hardly pledged realistic investment in public health, education, sporting or cultural spheres. Yes Geelong advocacy groups have hardly been up and about.
Most likely the May federal poll trend which saw Teals and Independents get the nod will be replicated at the state level. An on the cards minority ALP parliament is not good news because neither the Teals nor Independents formulate nor oversee policy implementation. Put another way, the taxpayer electorate does not get full value for its buck. And then of course you’ve got the Greens.
Stating the obvious a flawed democracy is way better than the alternative. It’s a conundrum. However the best of a bad lot means a vote for one of the major parties.
Richard Worland, Manifold Heights
Big issues ignored
I was disappointed to read about Labor and the Liberals acting as if the 2026 Commonwealth Games was the most pressing state election issue facing people here in Geelong (‘Labor, Lib Games battle’, Geelong Independent, 11/11/2022).
In fact, I haven’t seen significant interest from the two main parties in many of the critical issues affecting the daily lives of thousands of our city’s residents.
Homelessness, domestic violence, spiralling rental costs, mortgage debt, a huge shortage of government housing, income and food insecurity along with alcohol, gambling and drug addiction are real problems facing many people here in Geelong. But little has been said about these issues by either Labor or the Liberals.
I urge voters in Geelong who do care about these kinds of serious concerns to look beyond the two main parties and candidates when they decide how to cast their vote in this month’s state election.
Robert Van Zetten, Highton
