Job security seems to have been the biggest topic of discussion in the Australian Parliament over the last fortnight — namely that of senior politicians.
The casualties began earlier this month when the Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon, was forced to step down after it was revealed meetings between his brother and government officials had breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct.
Then it was Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Treasurer Wayne Swan's jobs in jeopardy over allegations of impropriety under the Ozcar scheme. The mud-slinging has left no one clean. Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull began on the offensive, but has since had to defend his own position after the case against the Prime Minister fell apart.
Compare the situation in Canberra to Italy, where Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has again been embroiled in controversy, this time over the alleged use of government resources to fund a lavish party. Yet, unlike in Australia, the controversies seem to have no impact on his popularity in the electorate. Despite the revelations, his coalition recorded a convincing victory in provincial and municipal elections last week.
Obviously, there are two very different political cultures at play. Australia has inherited its cultural legacy from northern Europe. In our culture, rules are the lowest common standards by which a person needs to live in order for society to function. If our politicians are seen breaking the rules, it puts the whole system in jeopardy. Hence, the general response to controversy is for them to step aside so the system can continue to operate.
Italians have a more sympathetic view of human nature. Rules are viewed as standards to which a person should aspire. Humans are flawed creatures, and while we should try to live according to the rules, we will inevitably fall short. Berlusconi's supporters often point to his flaws as an excuse for his actions. We should not be judged on our moments of weakness, the argument goes, but also on our positive achievements.
As we've seen over the last week, both of these views of politics can get in the way of good governance. Politicians are in important positions of power, and abuse of that power is a serious issue. However, there also needs to be space for fairness and understanding, and yes, even compassion. A mature culture recognises that people are capable of making poor decisions, and are also capable of redeeming themselves.
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