Two weeks out from the Australian general election, there is a new contender for most trusted Australian politician… that is our own prime minister, Jacinda Ardern.
Yes, you read that right. Jacinda is Australia’s most trusted politician.
Those who say that voting should be restricted to those with an IQ over a certain number really do have a point, don’t they? quote.
In a poll by Millward Brown, 1400 Australians were asked to score 12 politicians across six areas: relevance, integrity, shared values, commitment, affinity and follow-through.
The clear winner of the ‘Believability Index’ was New Zealand’s Ardern, who emerged with a score of 77/100 – streets ahead of second-place getter Penny Wong, who is Labor’s leader of the Senate. end quote.
I guess the first question you have to ask is why exactly Jacinda was an option on the poll when she is, of course, not actually an Australian politician? quote.
Former deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop and Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek came in third and fourth respectively, meaning the most trustworthy politicians in Australia are all women. end quote.
Excuse me for repeating myself, but… exactly when did Jacinda become an Australian politician? quote.
The bottom five included Australia’s former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and current Prime Minister Scott Morrison, 7 News reports.
I guess it is fair to say that the upcoming election is going to be interesting, to say the least. quote.
Participants were also asked to name their preferred Prime Minister, although Ardern was not included as an option given she’s busy running her own country. That title went to Bishop, who resigned from cabinet last year after a failed bid for the leadership. end quote.
So Australia wants either a New Zealand politician or a politician who failed in her leadership bid last year. Hmmm. Australian politicians really know how to speak to their voters, don’t they? This explains the famous Australian saying – “Only 3 more prime ministers until Christmas” – that seems to come up every year. quote.
A quarter of respondents said they weren’t impressed by any of the listed politicians.
Newshub. end quote.
I think we can all understand that. I feel much the same way. There are no politicians in our government at the moment who really make me want to sit up and take notice. Most of them are as boring as hell. This seems to be a big problem in the Western world these days. Most politicians are insipid at best, and positively dangerous at worst.
However, I must quote my esteemed colleague, Lushington Brady (who is of course an Australian citizen) when he voiced his opinion on this matter. He was not terribly impressed either. quote.
I’d point out that it’s a vote made in ignorance: most Australians know almost nothing about her. Nothing. Only that she put a rag on her head and looked sad on telly. That’s literally all they know.
It’s telling who their other “most believable” politicians were: Penny Wong, who repeatedly said she was utterly opposed to gay marriage, right up until gay marriage was passed and she was suddenly all for it. Julie Bishop. ‘Nuff said. Tanya Plibersek: married to a convicted heroin smuggler.
Lushington Brady. end quote.
Hmm… it seems that Australian and New Zealand politicians inspire their voters equally. In other words they don’t inspire them at all.
Still, if Australia really wants Jacinda, I’m sure we would be very happy to oblige. We would even be prepared to pay her fare. One way, of course.