The politics of firewood
Dear Editor,- Firewood can be a life-saver: For those East Gippslanders under extreme financial distress. And for most of us during an extended power failure, in an extremely cold winter.
So, Tim Bull and Gemma Rendell “call upon the current state Labor government to address the worsening firewood availability” issue. It makes for beneficial publicity to the local voters. But otherwise it is pointless.
Neither could a volatile and extremist One Nation candidate (or MP) change the long-term fate of wood heating in Victoria.
The reason: If the swing voters, who live in Victoria’s marginal and battleground seats, believe that wood heating is bad: Any rational and logical political party in power will see to wood heating’s decline. And any similar one in opposition will not reverse its decline, after gaining power.
Because: Those in power want to stay in power. Those in opposition want to get into power. The beliefs and desires of the swing voters in marginal/battleground electorates are supreme. No matter how emotional, hare-brained, or illogical.
It’s briefly and honestly revealed, only on election night, when those bean-counters get to talk.
Our best real chance of ensuring firewood for East Gippslanders requires the wood heater manufacturers and importers; the firewood harvesters and sellers; and even us consumers, to work hard, wisely and cunningly.
The marginal and battleground electorates need to be identified. The opinions about firewood held by the swing voters living there must be genuinely measured.
If the news is bad, a top-quality public education campaign must be focused there. If the news is good, both sides of politics must told what’s good for them.
It can not be done in three months. It should have started years ago. But who’s got the brains and discipline to start it?
It’s called democracy.
Yours etc.,
Carl Turney, Orbost
