THE veteran literary critic, journalist and editor, Peter Craven, was one of the few - if not the only media person - who in May supported the decision of the previous arts minister, Senator George Brandis, to cut $105 million from the Australia Council to create a rival National Program for Excellence.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In an article for Fairfax Media, Craven said the minister's decision could be a welcome retreat from what Craven called "arts mediocrity". It was typical Craven; unbiased, from the heart and fearless. His editorial work is therefore sought across many and varied publications.
In the 24 days since his peers voted Tony Abbott out of the prime ministership and, it seems, every political journalist, commentator and ex-politician plied us with their views, The Weekend Australian's decision to invite Craven's summation was a masterstroke. In his perceptive style, Craven took a different view; "the electorate is sick of the Liberal and Labor parties and wants something in between"; something the column has put forward for some years.
Craven wrote: "Voters are sick of the Rudds and Gillards and Abbotts". The column would add the Barnaby Joyces too. Craven continued: "They seem to want Turnbull, who can bring together the best of our two great political traditions".
Craven considers Turnbull commands the assent of more Australians than the right-wing columnists and commentators who rage against him. "Some fraction of those people who have faith in Turnbull may be sick of parties as impediments to enterprise or compassion or liberty".
He points out that Labor has lost a lot of ground to the Greens although he didn't mention Labor's problems will remain of their own making while ever it continues to embrace and pre-select candidates from within the trade union movement without proper scrutiny.
Craven touched on John Howard's point (seriously under-played by the mainstream media) that the major parties could no longer command the 40 per cent loyalty vote that had made them the natural governing parties.
"That's why", wrote Craven, "the agile, versatile, both-ways aspect of Turnbull ... looks headed for glory. He is a natural-born political leader." As well, it should be noted on the subject of leadership, he (and the nation, for that matter) has a courageous and strong deputy, Julie Bishop.
A final notation from Craven: " ... it (the Liberal Party) should wake up to itself and realise that Turnbull's appeal to Labor voters and swinging voters is a tremendous asset".
Wagga on the up
LAST week's announcement that CSU is planning a massive AgriScience research and business park for Wagga campus is good news, not only because of the impetus it is likely to provide but on account of the concern well held by the business community about the campus's future.
Some adverse decisions in recent times spurned the belief that there was an apparent preference for boosting the university's Bathurst and Orange campuses at Wagga's expense.
So, as the Mayor, Rod Kendall, said, the plans, building on the city's great agricultural research traditions, are great news as food production, processing and agribusiness are vital to the nation's prosperity.
Mr Turnbull wants Australia to be a nation that is agile and innovative. The Nationals must convince the PM regional Australia is the crux to those ideals.
