The antithesis of spin

[velvet]

Great post on Grog's Gamut: Game Over (or, Fibre to the Lodge) which opens with some observations on the Three Amigos' Big Afternoon ...

"Today was one of those fun days in politics where everything seemed possible and every rumour of an eyebrow raised or an elbow scratched was interpreted as a major event."

... and concludes with some pertinent advice to the ALP:

"The number one lesson of the Rudd Government is that people want decisions taken. Don’t worry if it is unpopular, worry about whether or not it is a good decision. And if it is a good policy, then argue its case – be an advocate for it, not a salesperson. When you go to court you don’t want a used-car salesman as your lawyer, you want an advocate. An advocate explains why a policy is good, defends the apparent weaknesses – in fact turns them into positives, and then savages the alternate view. A salesman says forget about that, look at all the goodies you’ll get if we bring it in.

The problem with the RSPT was it was never really advocated as being a necessary economic/taxation policy, it was sold as delivering money for superannuation, money for infrastructure and being able to drop the company tax. If a taxation reform is worth doing, it should be worth doing in and of itself, not because of what things may be able to used with the money raised.

Advocacy is the key; it is the antithesis of spin."

Hear, hear, the Ayes have it.

Policy is not a product, voters are not customers. We need substance, not slogans. And speakin' as a rural voter, I definitely need fibre.