Independents need a little self knowledge

Understanding our own strengths, weaknesses, abilities and capacity reflects maturity,  helps us to be effective and to avoid the tragicomic mistakes of vanity and hubris.

The new clutch of independents seem quite deficient in self-knowledge. Currently basking in the limelight of relevance, their vanity is  being actively cultivated.

Accidentally thrust to the fore as potential kingmakers, their egos are being stroked. Such a wonderful change from the anaemia, anonymity and impotence of the lonely independent. They are enjoying a lovely media massage, but there will be no happy ending.

Remember, these are the dysfunctional loners who have been unable to get along within a party and we are now trusting them with the exceedingly difficult job of parliamentary reform. This is a job they were not elected to perform and are ill-equipped to achieve. Asking misfits to assume a difficult leadership role is unrealistic.

The independents are wedging themselves between temporary relevance and electoral oblivion. I suspect that as the warmth of the limelight fades into the cold light of scrutiny and criticism, our smiling but anxious  independents will develop some self-knowledge. They might reflect on their particular abilities,  and realise that holding the major parties over a barrel will be very stressful, and to use the modern parlance, unsustainable.

Rather than let the dysfunctionality of the independents infect the parliament and hobble us with a weak Government for the next three years, Gillard and Abbott should concede nothing. This will hasten the learning process for our independents, and take us back to the polls. Then those who embarrassingly voted Green and deliberately voted informal, can cast a meaningful vote.

This is a difficult time for the global economy. We need an effective Government to strengthen our nation. We need a Government focused on action and outcomes, not internecine minority politics. We do not need a weak,  multi-party, Italian style political farce.

Australians did not vote for a hung parliament. Australians did not vote for Katter, Wilkie, Windsor and Oakeshott to rule as a new gang of four. Very soon these men will understand, that even as a group, they are incapable of handling this responsibility. Casting around for big boys to hold their hand, like Ken Henry, Bruce Hawker and Arthur Sinodinos,  suggests they are already feeling the pressure.

Let’s go back to the polls.