Why as a species are we so afraid of change? More so not change for change sake, but change in our basic understanding of the world around us? It comes across to me as a failure to comprehend that we would rather not know something, than celebrate in the knowledge.

I speak of course of science. Science, that wonderful thing that succeeds by knowing that it got things wrong and is always happy to be corrected.

Yes that is right, they celebrate finding out they go something wrong. I say they, because the majority of the population don’t see it that way. They just look at the failure, not what caused that failure and the outcome from it.

I say failure for want of a better word really. It’s not a failure as such, but an increase in the knowledge we collectively have. But for some reason many people don’t want to let go of what they already know. It comes across as an acceptance of their own failure to understand, so therefore there is no need to improve on that knowledge. It really does strike me as odd.

So what got me thinking about this? Well this week in Australia, the new government decided we don’t need a science minister. They decided we don’t need a climate change minister. They decided we don’t need a climate change authority. In other words, they decided we don’t need to know about new things, and how things are changing, and how we can make things better. Instead they are happy being a failure.

In times to come, many years from now, this government will be looked at and laughed at. But the worrying thing for me is, those laughing will also be laughing at the nation as a whole, for ever electing failure loving parasites in the first place.

I was raised in a Labor family. I came from a family of blue collar workers, and people like that vote Labor. It was that simple. The Labor Party looked after the needs of workers, while the Liberals were only interested in the bosses. If I ever ran a business, then I should still vote Labor, because then my workers would still be looked after. If I voted Liberal, I was just wasting my vote on a bunch of bastards who only look after themselves.

These days, I’m a worker. I pretty much always have been someone who works for another company, unless I was working for myself. Which is why I won’t be voting Labor at the next election.

Now before you think I’m jumping on the Liberal boat (one they won’t stop, like all the others), I simply will never even think about voting Liberal, as long as Abbott is alive. You could take to my crotch with a belt sander, then drag me behind a ute through a salt factory, and I still wouldn’t be interested in voting for that prick, or the party he represents.

So that rules out Labor, and it rules out the Liberals, so I guess it means I’m voting Green. Well not the case there either. Please let me explain.

Growing up, it was pretty much a case of voting Labor or Liberal. If you didn’t like either of those, well there was the Democrats. If you lived in the bush, you vote National, because their reps are born with the fly swatting gene, and they use it in parliament too.

Then along came the Greens, who were interested in the environment. So if you were not a worker, a boss, a fly swatting “get around back”, or fence sitter, you were obviously a tree hugger, who liked animals, even the non cute ones.

Then there are the Independents, and other minor parties, who support everything from forcing us to believe in their invisible friend, through to free Tupperware for one legged single mother lesbians who eat tofu burgers.

Gee it all gets confusing hey. Why don’t they just give us all a little card on Election Day, and we can just tick some boxes, grab a sausage in bread, then bugger off back home to sit on the couch and bitch at the Prime Minister and co on the telly.

Well here is the way I’m going to vote this year, and it’s the same way I’ve been voting for many years now. I’m going to do this thing called research. I am going to look at what international, national, state and local issues I believe in, and which ones affect me personally. I’m then going to use this set of ideals to look at the candidate who best matches those ideals. I have a set of core issues that I will not waver on, and if the candidate doesn’t support those views, they will not get my vote.

Yeah, all this takes time, but it is worth it. I know at the end of the day I will be comfortable with the choice I made, for my chance to make a difference to this country.

Then there is the senate, which this year has more boxes to number than an over supplied box factory doing stocktake. Please people, vote above the line. By doing this, you get the politicians you want, not the ones you deserve.

Voting is not something to throw away. There are people in the world who get killed, simply because they want to vote. There are people who wish they had our freedom to voice our opinion, our concerns, our choices. So please, do the right thing by yourself, for your own sake.

Whether it be same sex marriage, the location of the remote control, mining, AFL/NRL, who sleeps in the wet patch, basically any topic really that is in the news, I see a common thread. When religious leaders start talking, they talk about how Australia is a “Christian Society”. Err, no.

Now I’m not writing about what they are discussing, I’m writing simply about the use of the term “Christian Society (CS)”. The term is used as a qualifier , to give the person speaking a sense of authority and knowledge. As an example, I’m a Cronulla Sharks supporter, so use of “CS” in those terms would be me saying “As a Sharkies supporter, I know that NRL is a better game than AFL”.

While it may be the case that around 60% of people mark down their faith as some kind of Christianity on the census (a percentage that is dropping rapidly), that doesn’t make Australia a Christian Society. Australia is a secular country, like the majority of countries in the world. This secularism gives people the religious freedom to believe what they want, but doesn’t give them the right to use those religious beliefs to impose law on others, a fact often lost on religious leaders.

If the religious leaders want the followers of their faith to do something, they can ask, but they can’t enforce it by common law, nor can they persecute anyone for not following them. It’s a fact often ignored by the who seek to use religion as a point of authority on a subject. Australia by our constitution prohibits a state religion. Have a look at the consitution, you can event it as an app these days, it’s good reading. Section 116 states:

Commonwealth not to legislate in respect of religion.
The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.

So by all means, if church representatives want to give their views on a subject, feel free to do it. That is one of the great things about Australia. But your religious freedom does not give you the right to make judgement on those who do not follow your opinion. Your religious beliefs are not the basis for law in this country, so stop saying Australia is a Christian Society, because you are lying. We are a secular society, and if it wasn’t for that, you probably wouldn’t be heard at all.

This is kind of another open letter, sorry, I seem to be having a bit of a run of them lately.

Dear Hon. Julia Gillard MP, Prime Minister of Australia,

I know things are a bit tough for the government at the moment, but I think you’re actually doing a pretty good job for the most part. I’m not here to bag you out or complain that the guy from number 32 in my street has a wonky eye and looks at me funny on a Tuesday, and when is this government going to do something about it. No, I’ve just got one statement/question to ask of you, and it’s one you’ve heard a lot, but please hear me out.

You’ve made your stance on same sex marriage very clear. To paraphrase, and in a way  put words in your mouth, it’s going to happen, but you wont be putting your name to it.

I can understand where you are coming from with this. After all, you don’t want to piss people off, because you probably like being prime minister, and in government, so keep those who keep you there happy. But here’s the thing, and it’s something I don’t like either, but the Labor party are probably going to lose the next election as things are. Sorry to say it, but a lot of people out there can’t see the forest for the trees when it comes to politics. In the position you are in, every decision must be calculated out, weighted, and decisions made to keep your party on top. But I think you’ve been a bit blinded by those around you.

As someone who voted for you, I’m asking you to take a chance, put your best foot forward and openly support same sex marriage.

Now when I say I voted for you, I mean I actually went to a polling booth, grabbed that HB pencil in my had, and voted for you, because at the time of the election, I was living in your electorate. It wasn’t about which party or anything like that, I chose to vote for you. But it’s a pity that that vote doesn’t count. Instead you pander to religious groups, who didn’t actually vote for you, and in doing so turn your back on those who did actually vote for you.

As I said before, like it or not, at the next election, your time in the Lodge is odds on to end. I just hope before then Tony Abbott is not in charge of the Liberals, because things will really go bad, but that’s a whole different thing to blog about. All I’m asking you to do is to put your name to something that will really make a difference for millions of Australians, and it wont cost the government anything at all in financial terms. That would certainly help Swanny balance the budget.

Have a think about the Labor prime ministers who have gone before you. Have a look at what they put their name to, and the legacy it has left for this country.

• Kevin said he was sorry on behalf of every one.
• Paul and his Redfern speech.
• Bob and his no child in poverty.
• Gough and his, well I can’t remember much about Gough, I was still in nappies at the time, but he certainly left his mark on Australian politics.

So as someone who voted for you, I am asking you please put your name to something important. You wont be seen as two faced, you will be seen as someone who took a stand for Australians who are not treated equally. You will be seen as someone who made the hard decisions, and put their political career on the line to take a stand for what is right. You will be remembered as someone who did good.

Now there is no chance of me voting for you again, but only because I have now moved out of your electorate, but I am asking that you make the vote I made count, by simply saying yes to Same Sex marriage now.

Thanks Julia,

Rebecca.

PS: I love the fact that in this country we can call the leader of the nation by their first name. It shows Australians believe more in what is right, over wanky stuff that doesn’t improve the lives of everyone.