2017-12-07
"It’s time for a new kind of politics," said Queensland Greens Senator Andrew Bartlett in his Maiden Speech yesterday.
"People have asked me how it feels to back in the Senate. I have to say that I find politics as conducted by mainstream politicians, and many in the mainstream media, to be nastier, stupider and with even less effort given by many to even pretend to care about whether their statements are true or not.
“The impact of policies on everyday people is repeatedly ignored, with immediate short-term political factors holding sway.
“Inequality means there are more empty units in Brisbane than there are people without homes.
“For young people lucky enough to have a job, it means a large amount of your wage going to pay off your landlord's investment property.
“If you're an older Australian, it means you could be going without food or electricity to pay the rent.
“These things are not caused by mysterious economic forces outside of politics; all of these things are a direct result of decisions made in this place and in parliaments and by governments around the country in each state and territory.
“It is the result of a broken political system, flush with corporate donations that work only for the rich elite.
“Parliament needs to focus on empowering people, listening to people and adopting policies which deliver for all of the community, not for the interests of a corporate and moneyed elite which have controlled politics for so long.
“It is time for a new style of politics that puts people back at the heart of decision-making and works for a future for all of us.
“I commit to working to that end.