Australian National University in the 1960s - Ned Kelly and Germaine Greer

WHOSE REVOLUTION?

I was delighted to recover a snap for my family album when I went back to Canberra in October for the Australian National University Golden Alumni Reunion. And I was even videoed by the Canberra Diaspora team which is archiving the now emerging history of the world’s brand newest metro-city:

http://www.canberradiaspora.com.au/explore#dr-keith-johnson

The video shows a snippet of an interview that I gave about my time in Canberra 1967-1973. It focuses on my discovery of a photograph that had been stapled to display boards in the Common Room at University House. The photo was one of a number that relate to the public demonstrations regarding such issues as the Viet Nam War, the Springbok’s Rugby Tour of Australia, Aboriginal Rights etc.

The photograph in question shows me marching and mooching in a band of bannered students and activists. I was shocked to be confronted with the notion that I had once sported a fringing beard like Van Gogh's Fisherman - and ready to deny that the picture in fact related to me, only to be disabused by contemporaries. Thankfully, the remaining photographs that survive of me in this period show me clean-shaven [see above].

The stock of photographs posted in the Common Room had been obtained by Jack Waterford under an Official Information Access request to the Australian Security and Intelligence Organization [ASIO].  Jack was a widely recognized student leader and activist at the time. He later became the Editor of the Canberra Times and still contributes articles to the newspaper. He is also a very wry, witty and provocative public speaker who entertained us Golden Oldies at lunch.

Let me quickly add that I was not an important figure in student politics, though I can still give myself some credit for sticking up for my principles. Notably, I was thrown out of the pub at Mataranka in the Northern Territory for defending government spending on aboriginal development. Arguably, I was much more at risk then than I ever was from the ACT and NSW Police Forces and ASIO.

This morning, I was pushed into writing up my modest contribution to Radical Politics in the 1960s by Dave Armstrong’s article in today’s Dominion Post about ASIO’s ‘Pie and Penthouse’ little sister, New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service [SIS]. Dave notes that his Dad had be subjected to SIS surveillance and interference in such areas as job applications.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/dave-armstrong/9410966/Heres-hoping-for-a-new-open-SIS-spirit

Finally it seems that in 1977, after 35 years of ridiculous surveillance, the SIS declared that Dave’s Dad could be recalssified "current security significance minimal.” I can only assume that one of the Aussie spooks has similarly declared me to be an official security minnow – and, come to think of it, I do seem to get through Aussie Immigration much more quickly nowadays.

Getting back to the Canberra Diaspora interview, my longer spiel in front of the cameras picked up on two hot contemporary topics: the prevalence of widespread social disengagement from politics, and the apparent selfishness, apathy and indifference of a rising majority of young people.

Good copy for future articles when I feel a Statler and Waldorf moment coming on.

 You can catch up with a couple of my illustrious contemporaries on the Canberra Diaspora site at:

http://www.canberradiaspora.com.au/explore#owen-stanley

http://www.canberradiaspora.com.au/explore#megan-stoyles

Owen is a very Old Mate and he flew down from Darwin from the Reunion. Listen to his delightful story about the Fishy Passenger. Megan on the other hand was one of a band of impressive young women who started with Student Protest and went on to make an enormous contribution in developing Feminist Ideology and Feminist Politics. She was out there in the forefront, as her T-shirt attested.

 

If Owen and I drew our primary inspiration from Australia’s 19^th Century anti-establishment vernacular and traditions, Megan and her colleagues were drawing more innovative and relevant ideas together in organizations like the Women’s Electoral Lobby. It was Banjo Paterson, Henry Lawson and Ned Kelly pitched against Doris Lessing, Gloria Steinem and Germaine Greer - though the sexes found common ground in alcohol and the attraction of opposites.

 

Hardly surprisingly, the history of the 1960s – 1970s rules in favour of the ladies [or should I say women].

 

 

Dubious Gifts

SKINK

 

There’s another half-dead skink on the carpet

Hunted out of the Bush and delivered as a

Contribution to the household groceries by the cats.

It will be carefully collected in tissue and placed back in the flax.

 

I tell the boys to feed Scruff and Fang.

‘They’ve already got plenty of food Dad’, they say.

‘That’s not the point’ I advise.

‘They are looking for attention – give them some Treats anyway’.

 

A wise woman learns that men are a lot like cats.

They need to be given regular attention -

Even if it is a bit of a nuisance and they lack nothing.

They hang around for treats because it’s habitual - craving.

 

And, as for the men, they’ll then go off hunting.

Memo to self: Bringing back $5 tops and blouses,

Pre-loved from the hanger rails of the op-shop,

May just be a skanky behavioural response.

 

The Cuddly Economist and the Disgruntled, Disillusioned and Disengaged

 

STICKING UP FOR HOUSEHOLDERS

Back in the early part of the year, I flirted briefly with Mayoral Politics as a means of pursuing my long-standing opposition to the excessive leverage exerted by property developers, entertainment promoters and the doyens of the Wellington City hospitality industry on the activities and finances of Wellington City Council.

In particular, I tried to interest electors in the ongoing radical redistribution of the rates [local taxes] burden from the Commercial / Business Sector to Residential Ratepayers – and alert them to moves towards further exacerbating the inequity – see for example:

http://kjohnsonnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/wellington-rate-rebalancing-sequel.html

This endeavour was not entirely pointless as I received the following responses to my concerns from the candidates who remained after I informed people of my withdrawal:

1.       Dear Keith     Thanks for letting us know directly.

 

I'm in favour of keeping the current differential.

Regards

Celia Wade-Brown

Mayor of Wellington

 

2.       Hi Keith:

I'm sorry to hear you won't be running. I would have enjoyed hearing your arguments further and I doubt you and I are that far apart on rates.

I campaigned in 2010 on reducing our debt and while it isn't my core issue in 2013, it's still a target for me. Hence running a frugal campaign: if I don't live it now, how on earth would I be expected to live it if elected? 

 I hope I run into you during the campaign in any case, Keith.

Best, Jack Yan

 
Interestingly, the two Right-of-Centre candidates Nicola Young and John Morrison declined to respond. One can only assume that they would have endorsed a further narrowing of the differential and the extraction of additional money from householders and local communities to fund office building, ‘attractions’ and booze-ups in Courtenay Place.

Of course Celia won – so we have a guarantee on at least maintaining the status quo on relative rates burdens for the next three years.

And I had the satisfaction of seeing sad old war horse Rex Nichols trotted out of his Oriental Bay stable for a run at demonstrating on behalf of the Establishment in favour of screwing young householders for the benefit of property developers like himself, Chris Parkin and Ian Cassels - only for him to be soundly flayed and knackered by the voters.

But then I can’t really talk about popularity as I got roundly trounced when I went on to stand as a candidate for the Capital and Coast District Health Board.

I came last in a list of 21 candidates vying for 7 positions. I received a paltry 465 first preference votes out of a total of 74,704 cast. My consolations were that: 1. Most of those who voted for me are dear friends and people who knew me personally 2. I was in Australia on holiday when the results were declared, and 3. My campaign cost me absolutely nothing.

Though I would love to be able to see myself as Old Boxer the Workhorse shunted out by dastardly deeds, the truth is more prosaic – I am not an effective political animal at all, such that I wouldn't even see the inside of a paddock or a stable on Animal Farm – labouring hopelessly as I do on both building fairy-tale windmills in the sky and then tilting at them!  

Anyhow, the debacle was not a complete waste of time as one of my motives was to better understand the system.

THERE IS NO HEALTH IN IT

In the aftermath of the 2013 Local Elections, I thought of writing about the political system in Wellington with the idea of trying to improve levels of debate and voter participation but I flagged the idea as it seemed that my assessments would be immediately taken as sour grapes.

I am finally back at the keyboard because one of the Health Board’s successful candidates, Judith Aitken, emailed all 21 candidates to express her dissatisfaction with the process that we had all just gone through. Among other things she asked: how all candidates for DHBs, whether political party-sponsored or not, might get better and fairer exposure during the pre-election period?

Most of us had turned up time and time again at dark halls opened by reluctant and nervous key-keepers to find a convivial collection of contenders but virtually no public. Or where there was a public, the gathering was composed almost entirely of querulous Senior Citizens or zealots who made it immediately apparent that they had already made their choices but that they wished every candidate to subscribe to their pre-determined policy agenda. With most of their sign-up platforms being a visceral reactive to anything proposed by the NZ Government – regardless of the fact that it had been democratically elected.

I penned the following response to Judith and to Sue Kedgley who had joined in the conversation [both of whom are highly effective and personable politicians]:

Thanks Judith / Sue

 

First off – sincere congratulations – you are both great assets to the community. It was fun to meet you guys and I have no regrets about standing – and to be fair I ran a very laid-back campaign this time around. I have a lot going on what with my kids, consulting etc.

I was thinking about writing a piece about the wider problem of enlivening local democracy and broadening the candidate base – but I don’t want to be thought a sore loser. Anyhow I’ll let you in on some of my musings [if the cat will let me see the keyboard!].

In 2010 I stood as a NZ Labour Party candidate for the WCC Southern Ward. The LP decided that, even though I had been democratically selected at the Ward Level, all the resources should be devoted to my fellow LP candidate. I spent $12,000+ of my own money on advertising and walked every street in the Ward delivering my own material to some 12,000+ houses.

Even though I had spent a lot of money with Cook Strait Times, they wanted to run a rather mocking story about me when they were doing their round-up of candidates – as they, like the Dom, put the candidates through the crush early on selecting a couple for a two-horse race and the rest for the freezing works.

I have been working very hard over the years to try to build alternatives through the Internet but sadly I think now that the early promise shown by the New Media will never be fulfilled. There are too many distractions online and it has largely become a twitter flocking mechanism where birds of a feather reinforce each others’ prejudices and pick on stragglers.

It still comes down to Name Recognition - and for the 10% uncommitted of the 40% who vote, this means the Dom and the local papers.

I am constantly bemused about the casual way in which the newspapers throw around their recognition largesse. Take for example Helene Ritchie’s recent re-election to WCC [no reflection on her ability, integrity etc.]. The Dom ran a story about candidates who were non-resident in their wards and gave what could have been an adverse report an enormous twist of support by accompanying the piece with a large photo.

My assessment is that this kind dedicated story + photo of recognition would be worth up to the spending limit for a rookie candidate [$20,000].

Again John Morrison & Paul Eagle were given tremendous boosts when the latter got pinged by a Parking Warden outside Body Works in Taranaki Street – and they joined together to complain about over-zealous parking administration. I would have thought that the infringement merited a tut-tut 1-liner in the margins in the Dominion Post. It got a special report plus an Editorial! Again this was worth ‘000s in electoral advertising.

[See for example: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/9143514/Paul-Eagle-incensed-by-parking-ticket]

The newspapers seem to work on three drivers: a) as far as incumbents are concerned, they are already known and so newsworthy, and therefore able to help sell papers; b) as they are part of the local scene, incumbents become the confidantes and pals of reporters such that an ‘I’ll scratch your back, you scratch my back’ relationship can develop, c) differentiating candidates by policies and experience is boring – and in any event runs the risk of elitism.

Ironically I suggested to Chris Laidlaw that he should stand for the WRC when I knew him back in Kelburn in the early 1990s – of course he is an excellent candidate but if you compare his career and life experience to mine, they are not that different. What he has of course is Name Recognition!

All the best

Keith

Judith replied delightfully naming me her Cuddly Economist:

 Hi Keith

Your comments are fascinating – and have enormous validity. The Dom especially is a worry (I literally never have any publicity from the Dom - they clearly hate me and any name recognition I benefit from is certainly NOT from the Dom’s patronage!!)

Helene Ritchie is almost never missed in a Dom week of “Capital Days” and temper-tantrum WCC meetings, and very few of us would ever be able to afford that half page photo and article the Tuesday before voting closed.

But the reasons for all this are worth looking at – Prof Claire Robinson has some very useful analysis and would be interested in our collective and individual experiences on the hustings.

More anon Arohanui

Judith

And Sue has just tried to kill two birds with one stone, raising both the issues and her profile with a Dominion Post article [‘Voter Turnout a Bad Sign’: 12/11/2013]:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/9387504/Voter-turnout-a-bad-sign

This notes that:

‘There's been a lot of soul searching about the historically low voter turnout at this year's local body elections, which followed the lowest voter turnout in 100 years at the 2011 general election.

Discussion has focused on ways to make it easier for people to vote, such as online voting. But few have questioned the wider implications of the low voter turnout –and what it might mean for the health of our democracy.

The truth is that in New Zealand, and around the world, more and more people are becoming disengaged with politics, and disenfranchised from the political process.

Politicians rank at the bottom of the scale of esteem in many countries, including New Zealand, and many people feel they cannot trust politicians to represent their interests. Others are disillusioned with the way our democracy works, don't think government is relevant to their lives, or are simply apathetic. This is reflected in a pattern of declining voter turnout at elections, declining participation in political parties, and declining interest in politics.  

A recent audit of political engagement in Britain found that Britons are increasingly "disgruntled, disillusioned and disengaged" with their political system, and indifferent to politics. Only 24 per cent thought their system of governing worked reasonably well, and only 49 per cent felt the issues being debated in Parliament were relevant to their lives.

Ruth Fox, who conducted the audit, said the finding that only a quarter of the population are satisfied with their political system raises serious questions about its ability to maintain public support and confidence in the future.

I suspect we would find similar levels of disengagement, cynicism and apathy here [in New Zealand]. This is a real concern, because ongoing cynicism and disengagement in our political processes poses a risk to our democracy. Public trust and confidence in political institutions is the basis of political consent between politicians and the voters they represent. If public trust and confidence continues to erode, it will undermine the authority and legitimacy of government, and trust in the democratic process itself’.

However, Sue then goes on to argue that as ‘the closer a council is to its local community, and the more relevant it seems to people's lives, the more likely people are to vote and to become politically engaged’ such that:

‘While [through local government amalgamation and reorganization] a corporate-style super city might bring about greater efficiencies (the jury is still out on that), it may well result in lower voter turnouts and even less local political engagement, which would be unhealthy for our democracy’.

This is a fair point but I sense some special pleading and spin from Sue as a Green Party politician. As I have already commented in a previous article [showing my own political colours in some colourful language]:

‘The Greens are by far the most effective political force in the Left of Centre line-up. In our recent Wellington City Council Election, the Green Party made a clean sweep of its targeted seats – including returning the incumbent Mayor Celia Wade-Brown.

Wellington City is a paradise for Brown Rice and Sandals Tree Huggers but even so they probably don’t amount to more than 20% of the population [12-14% nationally]. But if this 20% Green tribe votes en masse as it does, and the total turnout is only 40%, this gives the Greens a 50% recorded vote – and it only needs a few fellow travellers and some crass sexism from a 'Good Old Boy' Mayoral Contest opponent like John Morrison on the Right to deliver guaranteed victory.

You might very well reflect that the zealotry and organizational capability of the Greens is not dissimilar to that of the TEA Party - if so I could not possibly comment’.

And though decentralization and grass-roots democracy are natural values for a Left Libertarian Green Party, it is worth noting that Green Party votes across the Wellington Region as a whole are very focussed on Wellington City – such that a super-City might well reduce overall Green Party representation – hence possibly the special pleading.

And I may be wrong but I detect in Sue’s comments a nervousness on her part and that of her Party colleagues that although they can mobilize ardour, they can’t mobilize the mass that would give them real legitimacy.

Anyhow, I’ll leave it there for this article – and carry on to some generic comments in a sequel.

NOTE FOR OVERSEAS READERS

Under the New Zealand Health System the District Health Boards are the main providers of services, with funding drawn from public taxation at the national level. A private health system also exists in parallel that can be accessed on a pay-and-demand basis backed by personal health insurance.

The Capital and Coast Health Board is responsible for providing public health services for about 250,000 people living in Wellington City and its suburbs, the Porirua Basin, and the Kapiti Coast including Waikanae. With about 3,200 full time staff and an annual payroll of more than $190 million, CCDHB is a major employer in the Wellington region.

 It also provides specialist tertiary-level care is provided to patients from the lower North Island and upper South Island, a population of about 900,000. These tertiary services include cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, renal medicine and transplants, genetics, oncology, paediatric surgery, neonatal intensive care, obstetrics, endocrinology, orthopaedics and urology, and specialised forensic services.

 

As there were 74,704 votes cast this year, and each voter gets 7 votes to fill the 7 elected positions on the Board, there were # 10,500 voters. This is equivalent to about 4 percent of the population served. Given that most of the 3,200 full-time staff will vote and that heavy votes will also be recorded from staff working in related but separately funded services in the disability and aged-care sectors, participation in the election is unlikely to be representative of service consumers at large.

 

 

Desistance Hunting

JUST SIT

 

 

The pursuit of happiness is alright

And a fine delight for a chase

But latterly I have found

That happiness surprises me.

 

In my case persistence hunting

Left me breathless and agonized

As the bucks and harts would break

Into the thickets and shadows.

 

But if I sit quietly like an ancient wizard

Under a blossomed tree, it comes shyly

At first, the chaste, unhindered unicorn

And crowns my lap.

 

Fat with the Promise of Lean Streaks

PERSONAL TRAINER

Late harvest saw us lifting bales to trailers And up from the trailers to shippon lofts Using a 2-pronged pitchfork or pikel Jabbed centre-bale and hefted up in one sweep.   At the glooming of a late summer’s day The last loads would be brought in As a chill caught sweat and chaff With aches akimbo as the tractor backed up.   Dank bales leaved with Cheshire autumn From the flats along the Ankersplatt A fair jag on and one last tussle To put them overhead aired aloft.   “Tha mun shape lad Dunna be like th’owd woman With a belly-full of butter milk An wimmy-wammy i’the bitlin.   There inna any way but reet. Tha mun stand reet lad - Jab an swing in one go Shifting as th’weight rises”.   Big men and me a youth of sixteen Jokes and hard judgments - But they are long gone Mown down by salty home-cured bacon - Fat with the promise of lean streaks .

Late in life I have come back to the gym And succumbed to the debonaire charm Of my personal trainer Maria Who comes from Wroclaw or ‘vrotswaf.   She has devised a program to improve me And I stand looking at myself in the mirror Holding a weighted ball out-stretched Balancing on a BoSu and bending low.   I try to think of new things to say or ask About Poland to reduce the pain - But then she has me bridging And holding for 10 more – she can’t count.   “That’s very good” She says unconvincingly: “Lift your tummy up And squeeze your glutes.   Take a break if you are dizzy - Next time bring a water bottle. Now for your favourite The lunges, leading leg straight at first”.   Beautiful people in pink and black lycra Pounding music and purposeful endeavour And I am still here Ready for a chick-pea and kinwa salad at the Maranui - Fat with the promise of lean streaks.

 

 

 

Thursday Morning

BLOSSOM THROSTLE

 

Every morning, I say:

“Do you want some coffee

Blossom Throstle?”

 

And you say:

“That would be great”

Or, “Maybe”

Or, “I have to have a shower

Because I need to do my hair”

Or, “I‘ll just do my make-up”.

 

You like it strong with a dash of milk

I like buckets of Trim

But we both abjure sugar

As it is a modern-day excess.

 

After my heart has stopped

Palpitating, I settle

In my favourite green chair

And meditate.

 

I always look at the bank

Under the mustard-coloured house

And try to see how far

My planting is coming along.

On Thursdays, we take out the rubbish

In our green wheelie bins

Because the trucks might

Damage the road.

 

This morning, Joanne scurried out

Through the morning rain

With her bin and sprinted back -

More of a wet chook than a thrush.


And you are taking the boys

Early for road patrol

And then on to sort the clothes

With Justine for the School Fair.

Now the rain has died down

The birds are singing again.
 

My Alma Mater - University House at the Australian National University in Canberra

 EARLY MORNING AT UNIVERSITY HOUSE

 

The brightness startles when the blinds are drawn

And smacks across the window’s sleepy brow

As sunshine rages there against the lawn

And dawning makes a last flamboyant bow.

 

My entrance to the court unmasks delight:

The choisya is so very pure and white

Beset abuzz by jezebels and nymphs

That hover nectar-yielding labyrinths.

 

The pool is quiet where carp will bide the day

But then the birds alight - alert and keen:

The cockatoo sips morning mist away,

While come the tufted doves to coo and preen

 

And nesting mynas strut, weighing their searches,

As the chorus rises and then takes song

Amid the shrubs and the silver birches -

So swoops and chortles then the kurrawong.

 

And so by heaven, I thank the wakened sun

For this Canberra day that’s just begun.