Perspectives

To Critique, Inform, Challenge and Entertain

Author: Daniel Stepniak

AUSTRALIAN POLITICS / CURRENT ISSUES

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The Mandate Furphy

Reading Time: 6 minutesThe Australian government‘s claim that it has a mandate to implement specific promises it made during the election campaign leading to its election simply does not add up. No one knows why an elector casts a vote for a candidate, unless the candidate is running on one issue only. At most a successful candidate has a general mandate to represent the electorate and pursue their or their parties’ policies. Successful candidates aligned with the party or parties that make up a majority in the House of Representatives may also be said to have the electors’ mandate to form a government. It is simply not possible to determine whether electors’ votes for a candidate or party were an endorsement or authorisation of government action.A clear mandate for government action on a particular issue can only be clearly secured through a plebiscite and less clearly from a survey. An election win can never produce a mandate of anything other than who should be elected and who forms government.

OPINION

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No Regret if Choices are Not Intrinsically Right or Wrong

Reading Time: 2 minutesThere is a belief that, when we have a choice to make, there is only one correct decision. Being convinced that it is within our control to make choices that will always prove right, we regret making choices that do not, at some stage, prove to be right.

On the other hand, we can accept that it can never be guaranteed that a choice will prove to be what we want and need. In doing so we will be more likely to not see a choice that is no longer working, as an opportunity to see what it was that stopped it being right, or as a recognition that our needs or circumstances have changed. Dare I say “I wish I had taken this on board many years ago”.

FILM REVIEWS

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Yesterday

Reading Time: 2 minutes‘Yesterday’ is a light hearted, musically brilliant, albeit with a plot that should not be scrutinised too closely. It is very well cast and believably acted. A fun movie for the family, and especially those who remember or like Beatles music.

SMALL SCREEN REVIEWS

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Killing Eve (Series 2)

Reading Time: 2 minutesSeries 2 is simply a different show to Series 1. It is no longer a tightly scripted psychological thriller. It has broadened its scope and expanded its focus to encompass the supporting characters. While lacking some of the first series’ focused suspense, and foreboding, the second series is still a cut above most other offerings, and undoubtedly worth watching.

SMALL SCREEN REVIEWS

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An Ordinary Woman

Reading Time: 3 minutesAn Ordinary Woman tells the story of Marina, a 39 year old working mother who lives in Moscow. She appears to be an ordinary, if somewhat privileged, woman. However, the image of Marina, the ordinary woman, soon develops cracks. Most significantly, we discover that the flower shop is used by Marina to launder money she earns from running an online prostitution service. When one of her prostitutes is murdered, Marina’s life begins to unravel. The series also introduces a list of other family or more ordinary problems and issues. These enrich the series, creating a multilayered story line, and serve to keep the overall story grounded in ordinary issues amidst extraordinary developments. Like Marina, this series is anything but ordinary

OPINION / RELIGION

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A Rational Debate of the Freedom of Religious Belief?

Reading Time: 4 minutesUnless we clarify and agree on what it is that we’re discussing, we run the risk of replicating populists’ irrational and dishonest discourse. This means, not allowing facts to stand in the way of your views, by pretending that they’re not there or creating your own alternative facts. You may also pretend that words don’t mean what they mean to most people but rather what you conveniently chose them to mean. Our debate needs to acknowledge and take into account the full context of exempting religions from compliance with a law that seeks to protect others from their harassment and discrimination.