Thread by @KosSamaras

During all of 2020 and into 2021 we have spent thousands of hours talking to people right across this country. This is twitter, so I am going to use one word to sum up the glue that binds all peoples we have spoken to. From Perth, to Cairns. Trauma. 1/

You can see it expressed here, on this platform. Sometimes it’s expressed overtly. Other times it’s expressed in a subtle way. Sometimes it expressed via people admitting that they are doing it tough. Whilst other choose a more destructive route 2/

That route is one where they express their trauma outwardly, towards others. Aggressive, via some warped tribal behaviour. Mocking other states, either as a private citizen, or via formal channels, through their employment as journos, politicians or other formal positions 3/

It achieves nothing. No one feels better about it. You won’t change governments. You won’t switch one single vote. No incumbent government in this country will lose an election during this pandemic as long as they are keeping people safe. 4/

However, expect a viscous response from voters if they think their health, their family’s health, their trauma, has become part of some political game, to be traded and played with via news bulletins, door stops and social media. 5/

You want to know what that looks like? Ask the WA Liberal Party. Don’t think for a minute that what happened in that state, won’t repeat itself elsewhere. People ignore politics - until it threatens them, hurts them, traumatises them.

Be kind to each other. It’s a pandemic.