Last night they came from “”the community sector”. The regular ACT Council of Social Service question the candidates night was held at Olim’s Ainslie Hotel and the words “”community sector” were articulated by ACTCOSS representatives and candidates alike. Now the “”community sector” is different from the community. The community is “”consulted” on every issue; the “”community sector” is consulted on only some issues _ because “”the community sector” is only part of the community. And last night the candidates opened themselves to questioning by this new-found euphemistic oxymoron. Indeed, last night “”the community sector” was broken down into other “”sectors”. We heard of the “”child-care sector”, the “”disabled sector” and so on. In all there were about 60 representatives of a dozen or so community-sector sectors. It was a different form of questioning than what has been seen in the past quarter century _ since television took over election campaigns and the public meeting became defunct.
ACTCOSS’s Ian De Landelles, who chaired the meeting, sagely pointed out, “”That’s the trouble with public meetings you never know what question you will get.” _ unlike a press conference full of journalists. For example, Trevor Kaine was not asked, “”Do you still hanker after the leadership like every thrown Liberal leader?” No; these questions were mundane and arcane. They were about “”12A long day-care centres”; tied Commonwealth grants for disabled people and the Griffin Centre.
The last was asked by the Recorded Music Society (which did not quite rate as a “”sector”). The questions _ over two hours _ were particular and came from personal experience. We want more money from government, they said. Yes; we agree said the candidates. The child-care sector got money for national child-care standards. The Griffin Centre was saved. Here was the combination of state-government and town-council at work poking its nose into every nook and cranny of our lives. It is an unprecedented breadth of power. Earlier, however, it was pure state government. The Chief Minister delivered her policy on economic development to the people of the territory in a tiny room in the Assembly building attended by three television cameras aggregating the same coverage of the same thing that one camera covered before aggregation. Ms Follett was all smiles.
I was reminded of Pryor’s award-winning cartoon of the 1987 election showing Hawke and Howard at the end of the marathon. There is Hawke being carried to finishing line by his team of ministers, not having to lift a finger. Lagging behind is John Howard carrying his hopeless crew. Adding to earlier woes, the Liberals had apparently not manned (personned) the pre-polling booth for people who are voting now because they will not be here on election day. Sources deep within the independents’ camp are despondent. “”This could mean majority Labor Government. We’d have no clout but to whinge to you lot.” Follett stands at a small lectern before a large blow-up photograph of Canberra _ the classic shot from Mount Ainslie. “”Responsible economic management . . . . credit rating . . . . high tech industry . . . consultation with business . . . . 1000 jobs.” The cameramen are restless. A talking head lasts an average of nine seconds on television. They have done the back drop. They have done the lectern. There is nothing left to fed upon. Like ship-wrecked sailors, they turn upon themselves.
Network One films Network Two’s camera. And then it is Network’s Two’s turn. Where are the jobs coming from? The private sector. (Those sectors again). The policy has a long list of government spending to encourage business. Anmd the Liberals blew any hope of talking about revenue. The twin-hatted Lucinda Spier who is a Liberal candidate and head of the rates association has broken the fundamental rule of politics: disunity is death. She has spoken independently about rates saying her association’s view of rates was more important than the Liberal Party’s and now the Liberals will not be able to attack the question again without being reminded of it. This is going to be a sector-driven spending-side election campaign.