Resurfacing Human Rights and Democracy in Question Time
BUNJIL IS THE MESSENGER OF HIGHER JUSTICE
We live in a world of unfinished business,
For thinking can compartmentalise into boxes,
A Chi square theorem,
Investigating whether normal distributions vary,
To discover values are the goodness of fit test,
Summing the differences observed,
As consistency is the sine wave of good governance.
When we are stuck on an intractable problem,
We sit and reflect on the solution,
We do not apply the same equation as it is a zero sum game,
To continue hoping the outcome will change is folly,
Why not re-test the hypothesis,
To reform the real framing of questions?
For in Question Time,
Are the questions designed to discover the answer?
Or provide an interval to meet the Minister’s needs?
Elected backbenchers have no rights to ask their own questions,
They are not pre-selected to have an equal say,
Is this representative democracy of the people?
Hierarchy is the platform of elevation,
Yet many desire to abseil to reveal the truth,
To make human rights visible when stonewalled,
Why is it an offence to speak up without notice?
The Australian Constitution gives restitution to the freedom of political communication,
Is this a lived system of representative and responsible government?
The separation of powers doctrine cites the separation of legislative (parliament), executive (bureaucracy) and judicial powers (justice),
To restrain the potential harm of unchecked power,
To negate undue political influence,
So that there is no unnatural confluence of interests.
Justitia or Lady Justice stands tall in New York harbour,
The Roman Goddess of Justice,
She waits still,
She is still waiting,
For justice to be done,
Outside of courts of final appeal,
Not to be seen to be,
Thus to be or not to be is the real question.
She is symbolically blindfolded and free,
She holds the scales of fairness in balanced decision-making,
She holds the sword of truth not in an aggressive stance but as a reminder to stand with courage,
She stands with Prudentia (foresight),
She embodies the ability to discipline to govern oneself with reason,
She is the personification of virtue inspiring …
Wisdom, insight and true knowledge,
She holds the mirror and a snake,
She is looking for beauty in wisdom’s natural justice,
To judge appropriately between …
virtuous or vicious actions,
courageous or cowardly intent,
She does not require the arbiter of man-made law.
As Prudence is the mother of all virtues,
To see the cause, measure and form of all virtues,
To have the intelligence and free will to make perfect the right decisions,
For temperance is not holding back ones temper,
It is to rebalance one’s decisions in hindsight and foresight,
To realise without prudence:
- bravery becomes foolhardiness;
- mercy sinks into weakness,
- and temperance into fanaticism.
For these are the three blind horseman.
For it is the duty of care for those who know to tell the blind horseman on a blind horse,
that he is heading towards the abyss (Lao Tzu),
For as night follows day one cannot bare false witness to the truth.
Governance determines the truth of star chambers,
To enforce fairness or silent privilege?
To stand with prudence deciding clear judgements,
The other uses privilege to mask abuse,
The philosophy of poetry asks all questions,
In time without notice.