joe.toscano's blog

ANZAC Day has become one of the saddest days in the Australian calendar. It's a desperately sad day because it highlights how far governments will go to deny the truth to suit their political objectives in 2014. It's one thing remembering and honouring sacrifice, it's another thing examining why so many Australians were sacrificed during World War One.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott's unwillingness to keep his election promises, "No cuts to education, no cuts to health, no change to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC and SBS" (Sunday Age 13/4), highlights parliamentary democracy, like religion, is essentially an act of faith. Every parliamentary election electors give a signed blank cheque to a parliamentary representative to make decisions for them for the next three to four years.

It's surprising to see the almost universal praise that has been heaped on Australia's "free trade" agreements with Japan and South Korea. Considering the Abbott led government gained its parliamentary majority as a result of a campaign based on protecting Australia's sovereignty from asylum seekers, it's ironical the same government is willing to give up this hard won sovereignty for thirty pieces of silver.

There is nothing more disturbing than to see young Australians parrot the myths surrounding World War One that have been promoted over the past century, "The History Sleuths" (Sunday Age 30/3). It broke my heart to read one of the Goondiwindi students involved in the project thought "we are really lucky that they went over and fought for us at an age that is only three or four years older than us".