The problem with government
The first problem is recruitment.
Do you know how to get involved in politics?
If you wanted to run for the local council, your State Government seat, or for the Federal seat in your electorate, do you know how to go about it?
Have you met any politicians lately? Have you had a chance to speak to someone about what they actually do?
Most of us are not going to rush out and join the Young Liberals or Young Labor when we’re at university (or whatever we were doing in our 20s) because, let’s face it, we were alternately drunk, hungover and working at a crappy job.
But now, when we’re older and more engaged with the taxation system, we care a lot more about where the money is going.
We have kids and become concerned about schools.
Our parents get older and we start to care about Medicare, the pension and superannuation.
So now we’re time poor but we care a lot.
And yet we don’t know where to begin.
I am profoundly disappointed by our government for so many reasons. I haven’t felt anything akin to pride since Julia Gillard was PM.
So what do I do? How can I help? There’s only so many Change.org petitions you can fill out. How can you make a real difference?
Great post and an important question! Being involved at the grassroots level in our communities is such an important part of our democratic system.
For me, it took moving to Alice Springs to realise that 1. I really care about making the world a better place and 2. That there are things I could do to be part of that change. Joining (and becoming active in) a political party was part of the route I have taken, but it’s not the only way to be a part of making a difference.
Community organisations and NGOs are always on the lookout for volunteer committee/board members, and sometimes it’s as little as one meeting every 2-3 months. Finding an organisation that aligns with your values is a good place to start – introduce yourself and let them know what you can offer (even if it’s once or twice a year!) and you might be surprised.
I feel really lucky that I do have friends who are politicians – at local government, territory and federal levels – as well as political advisors, union officials and campaigner-extraordinaires. For the most part, these are people who are totally values-driven, committed to the cause and really want to make positive changes for the people they work doggedly to represent.
Time is always the biggest factor in being involved. You’ve got so much to contribute to make the world (and your community) a better place!