Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Why Should I Vote For You?
I don't know who to vote for.
I so want something positive to come out of this election so I thought I would email the candidates in my electorate. I wonder what they will come back with?
This is the email I sent.
______
Dear Candidates,
I am sending you this email as I am lost and I really want my vote to count as I want Australia to be a tolerant and respecting place to live.
So why should I vote for you?
Before you reach for your party rhetoric or start to sledge the other parties, there are some things you should know about me.
I am a small business person whose industry is relatively free of red tape. Naturally I am after a strong economy but I am happy to sacrifice some of the economy’s strength to support those in our community who need it.
I am married with no kids. So “more child care”, “Paid parental leave” mean nothing to me.
In fact, my wife and I seem to be in that position where we get none of the benefits but plenty of the taxes.
I abhor the current refugee plan. There are so few of them and we treat them worse than criminals
I support gay marriage. I have witnesses several of my gay friends commit to their partners and it is as beautiful as a “traditional” couple.
I am a fan of public transport and know that it is not cost effective, but it could be if we invested in it rather than let business get rich over more toll roads and tunnels
My wife is a nurse. I am scared of what the future of our health system will be.
Most importantly, I am tired. Tired of the manipulation and politicing that I see. Tired of the talk and lack of action. Tired of how I never hear from you but now it is election time there are billboards everywhere and weekly letters from many of you. Tired of the sad state that is our political system.
I am eager for leadership. I am eager for someone to stand up, accept that mistakes have been made but there is much we can do to make Australia better than it is. Eager for a plan of success. Eager to hear the truth no matter the cost. Eager to respect our political leaders rather than ridicule them.
Don’t get me wrong, we are in a brilliant position economically, politically and geographically, but there is room for more people, more business, more artisans, more science, and more intellectual stimulation in our conversations and our actions.
Are we a simple country of sport and raw materials for the rest of the world? If so, that is not enough.
I want for us to be leaders of our time. Leaders of how to treat people in need. Leaders of how treat people of all color, faith, sexuality and belief. I tire of politicians opposing their opposites without bringing something of value to the conversation.
The time has come for some long term vision not simply a plan to get re-elected.
So what is your thought out plan?
How will a vote for you make Australia better? How will it make my electorate better? How will it make my community better?
Why should I vote for you?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Warm regards
Warwick
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3 comments:
OK - I got the first response back from the New Millennium Reformist party. It did not address any of my concerns. It did not mention any of their policies. It did not mention me at all except to say thanks for your email. With a bit of a look around, it is actually a cut and paste from their website. I suppose that's what you get from a candidate with a hotmail address! Not voting for them!
Candidates, when responding to the masses or even when trying to appeal to the masses, don't bang on about you. Talk about me. What's in it for me. What are the benefits for me. Your generic statements about "politicians should do more to help (insert random group here)" tells me nothing.
The Greens got back to me. They basically said "Yes we so agree with you that's why you should vote for us". Not a strong response but at least they took the time to use my name in the email (even if they did spell it wrong)
The Local Member (ALP) has had the best response so far. He called me and we spoke for 30 minutes on issues. He was down to earth and very real about differences between party line and what he is trying to achieve. He was very frank about how my demographic is less likely to receive benefits. He did waffle a bit but that's what you expect from a pollie. Still haven't heard from the Libs yet.... Interesting!
The libs got back to me. They started their email by sledging the local member. They referred to "your concerns" which are not what they are writing about and the whole thing was a cut and paste. Hmmm......
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