Farewell Democrats?

Well today (30 June 2008) is the last day for Senate representation by the Australian Democrats in about 30 years. It's a momentous, and sad, day. It is the last day of federal parliamentary representation for four Australian Democrats senators, Andrew Bartlett, Natasha Stott Despoja, Lyn Allison, and Andrew Murray. It may well be the end of an era for Australian Politics, but if so it was an era that saw a party fight for fairness and responsibility in public policy and legislation. While the Democrats may not have had a monopoly on these values they certainly were the most consistent in living up to them. This, of course, made the number of inevitable falls from grace all the more difficult for the Australian public to accept. There is a lot of sorrow and regret at the loss of this representation and on reflection an acknowledgment that when they held the balance of power in the Senate, which they did in many years, they managed that task responsibly and Australians were the better for it. Too late now for such lamenting, however, we will look to see what political force might emerge to fill the gap, what will be the form of a movement that befits the 21st century that stands for equity, balance and sustainability in our political landscape. Surely the politics of self interest that hold the mainstream parties to ransom and the single issue blinkedness of minority parties are not all that we can hope for. Today we have seen the passing of an era, born of the 1970s optimism and utopianism, but tempered by pragmatism and a commitment to democratic inclusion. We look forward to a renewed Australian Democrats or, more likely, a new force to occupy the space their departure leaves bare.

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