Ageing politics

I was rather taken aback by commentary that Malcolm Fraser's departure from the Liberal Party (see an interesting British commentary here) would not be terribly consequential as most voters wouldn't even remember the Fraser years.

To me the heady events of 1975 seem like yesterday. But, I suppose it was 35 years ago. And he was replaced by Hawke in 1983. (27 years ago!!)

If I had nothing better to do then I would look up the age composition of the electorate, but I suspect that the observation is probably true...that many many people do not register Malcolm as a political figure of any moment any more.

However, it is laughable to read the Guardian begin its little piece by saying "Fraser has been slowly sliding to the left for the last twenty years!!"...if Malcolm is left then Gough Whitlam is more to the left than Lenin..(some people would believe this!)

No, I think it is much more that the Liberal Party under Howard, and it looks even more so under Abbott, has lurched to the right and then some. Followed not far behind by the Labor Party.

Fraser's obvious disgust with this has been apparent for years. It is clear he held Howard in disdain, and it's noteworthy that Howard only ever came into his own after Fraser had well and truly left the scene. The days of the small 'l' liberal are well and truly over.

Final Solution

My less-left wing brother in law (well actually he's less left wing than Alexander Downer if that places him on the political spectrum for you) quite rightly remarks that nuclear energy presents the Green movement with something of a dilemma.
While it is being offered as a "green solution", an alternative to the CO2 emitting processes which seem likely to destroy (have destroyed) all sorts of things about our planet that we have taken for granted. There is clearly a problem with the side-effects of nuclear energy and the disposal of waste. I am generally persuaded that Australia being geologically and politically stable can be a good 'dumping ground'. But no one really wants a dumping ground in their backyard if they don't have to have it.
The real dilemma is the thousands of years it requires for this stuff to be stored before it can be reprocessed ( by my reading it doesn't ever become safe again) and the exponentially increasing quantities of waste that will develop if we give ourselves to this form of power production.
Much as I hate to agree with my less left-wing b-i-l,he is right. There is a dilemma.
It was not helped by hearing a current affairs host today in discussing this issue say "We are a long way from the final solution on this issue". Final solution indeed, she is usually a lot more careful with her language.