Am I the only one who thinks the optics of the Pollie Pedal event, despite being for a good cause, are out of touch with our lived reality?
Pollie Pedal was started in 1998 by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and is now led by Angus Taylor. It helps important charities and support groups like The Wandering Warriors.
But life in 1998 was very different from the economic nightmare we are living through under this Labor government.
Today, I helped at my local café crumping out coffees as the other café in town was closed. Four hours later, and I was wrecked. As I left work, I ran into a tradie mate who runs an important business. I asked him how he was travelling:
‘Mate, I’m f**king not. I’m hanging on by the skin of my teeth like everybody else. I think I might just call it quits and go on a holiday. I’m done with this sh*t.’
Good intentions aside, Lycra-clad politicians riding their bicycles around being all fit and happy is at odds with how crappy life in Australia has become.
The rest of the country doesn’t have time to exercise, doesn’t have time for recreation, doesn’t have enough money left to take time off, and is looking for side-hustles just to make ends meet. And they’ve got nothing left for charity.
The annoying thing is that the Coalition isn’t hitting the mark against Labor while continuing to agree with them on legislation that does little to ease our economic pain.
All I want is for Angus Taylor to say what he really means.
On a hot mic the other day, maybe he did:
‘Alright, we’ve got to go and prep for this presser.
We’re just going to say the Labor government is f**kin’ sh*t.
You got your lines? Talking points? [inaudible dialogue] F**kin’ ABC will be.’
If only we’d continue to hear Gus talking straight. I don’t know anybody who is being all nice and polite about life under Labor.
Peter Dutton tried to be someone else. He tried to soften his image. But a weak man created our current hard time. Hard times create strong men. It’s that part of the cycle where we need a strong man to bring about good times.
We’re with you, Gus. Labor is killing us financially.
Just get out of your Lycra and into the fight.
(Optics are one thing, but charities are struggling, too. If you can spare a few quid, please donate to the Wandering Warriors.)
Dr Michael de Percy @FlaneurPolitiq is the Spectator Australia’s Canberra Press Gallery Correspondent. If you would like to support his writing, or read more of Michael, please visit his website.
