It seems Tony Abbott believes you’re not really believing in Australia if you don’t believe in standing up for things like coal, and your need to offend and insult, and for the status quo that’s simply there to give blokes a fair go.
Abbott delivered a speech in Western Australia Wednesday night on the “march of identity politics”, declaring that conservatives must offer up an alternative to the rhetoric.
The examples he mentioned would appear to suggest that anyone who believes that greater diversity in leadership, marriage equality and action against climate change could actually contribute to a better future for Australia, are not proud of the way of life we have.
Abbott’s not happy with the head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet recently conceding some of his decisions may have been affected by “unconscious bias”.
He’s not happy that “dozens of big companies” recently campaigned on same-sex marriage.
He’s not happy that banks are intimidated against investing in coal, due to shareholder activism.
He’s not happy about what can and can’t be discussed in universities without ‘trigger warnings’.
And just to be clear, he’s really, really not happy with Yassmin Abdel-Magied, over an Anzac Day Facebook post that she later removed and apologised for.
“Still, an over-promoted, politically correct 26-year-old is merely the symptom of the cultural cowardice that’s penetrated to the very heart of our institutions,” he said. “While officialdom wrings its hands in nervous self-doubt about anything that might be labelled anti-youth, anti-women, anti-black or, perhaps worst of all, anti-Muslim, Australians show what they think of our country’s knockers by turning out in ever increasing numbers and ever greater enthusiasm on Anzac Day.”
If you are an Australian, you have to believe in Australia, according to Abbott. You have to believe that it’s worthy of respect.
Australia’s not only worthy of respect, but also worthy of change. From the examples Abbott provided, there’s also a good appetite from corporate leaders and activists to put forward ideas and suggestions that our governments won’t.