Here I am in the capital city, where it all happened. Australia now has a new Prime Minister, no thanks to a mere 100 persons who decided amongst themselves and in the interest of their own jobs, to ignore what the rest of the country decided a mere 2 years ago.
My immediate reaction is that this is all tribal. Malcolm Turnbull moves amongst a demographic who probably think of themselves as intelligent, progressive and know better than the plebs. He identifies with them and wants to be a leader who represents those views held and lived by that group.
The Liberal Party platform only happens to be a convenient platform for the new PM to posture, preach and prosecute his plans to rule. The very likely and widely held belief that most ordinary Australians either don’t care for or do not believe in many of the causes of that tribe – ordinary Australians who voted the Coalition in, did not matter to the new PM. He coveted the position of PM. He always has. And he wants to lead that tribe.
So the outgoing PM who has been persecuted by the urban media and the rest of the tribe which now hails its new leader, steps away, hurt. He is likely hurt not just by the fact of a painful loss. He is likely hurt because causes dear to him will now be reversed. Causes not dear to him will now likely be given priority and be prosecuted.
The new PM is a catholic who scarcely believe – let alone practices – what the scripture and catholic church teaches. His religion is what that tribe believes and lives by. It is counter scripture (such as Romans 12:1, 2) but he would not care for the exegesis which would preclude a “progressive” reading. He is intelligent to contextualize and make contemporary what the scriptures teach, notwithstanding applying such lenses distorts and makes for erroneous conclusions. He probably knows he is wrong but he would also know this pleases the tribe and so would charge ahead. What matters to him (and many of his ilk) is what his tribe approves. As a leader not of this country but of that tribe, that is what dictates policies and decisions from hereon in.
Ante 