Thread by @BenPugsley

I reckon a lot of you probably view me as a crazy left winger. And that may well be fair, but if you’re wondering how I got here , I’m gonna have a crack.
In my 20s I had pretty much zero interest in politics. I grew up in Central Qld, surrounded by conservative influences.

Towards the end of the Howard years I began to feel that what he was doing wasn’t right, probably starting when they changed the rules retrospectively in the wharfie dispute. But it was even more troubling when he began adopting Hanson’s racist immigration views, and children

Overboard was a shameful chapter in racist dog whistling. I was disappointed that he spent the proceeds of the mining boom on Johnny’s Battlers instead of future proofing our economy and building a sovereign wealth fund. His failure to implement any sort of climate policy was

His biggest failure though, in my opinion. Despite that, I admired his guts with the gun reform he achieved following Port Arthur.
It was with renewed hope that I rode the #Kevin07 wave to a change in government. I felt hopeful that Australia was going to be a world leader in

The fight against climate change. How disappointed I was, as Rudd and the Greens completely botched a golden opportunity. Then Rudd showed a streak of cowardice I still cannot comprehend after miners spent a few bucks on tv ads attacking the RSPT. Julia jumped in the hot seat

And Rudd and an obstructionist opposition completely derailed her government. Despite the challenges she did implement a very good carbon policy, that would have set us up for the challenges ahead. History shows that she didn’t last either and with Rudd returning to

Save the Furniture, Abbott somehow found himself in the lodge.
For the first time in my life, I felt like the government hated us. From $100k degrees, attacks on working conditions, the concentration of power around Dutton and his public surveillance, and attacks on journalists

Of course #lessthan1termTony was rolled by @TurnbullMalcolm who was hopelessly hamstrung by the emboldened right wing dinosaurs who continue to run the show. But not before he shamelessly stripped dollars from the ABC and SBS, and waged a war on climate action that

Is a complete national disgrace. Now we have the Morrison, ScoMo, #scottyfrommarketing who delights not so much in having any policy at all, it rather living in a consequence free state of permanent smugness. Lecturing journalists and citizens alike when he is challenged on even

The most basic level. Under his daggy dad charm offensive we have seen the government transfer millions of dollars to their favoured corporate mates, and pork barrel the hell out of any marginal electorate.
So yeah, maybe I am a lefty warrior. But, in my adult life I’ve see only

5 years of Labor Govt and 25 years of an erosion of the fair go, equality amongst citizens and a rising xenophobia. this isn’t the Australia that I was taught about as a kid. This isn’t the Australia I want for my daughter.
Thanks you for listening to my Ted Talk.

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