The last time that I witnessed behaviour that resembles what I see on the Australian political front today was on a farm when the pigs were about to be fed.

There was a sense of joy, exultation even as the farmer approached with the slops and with the feed that he was about to empty into the trough. The atmosphere of expectation and level of maneuvering to get into place to be able to get the greatest share of the goodies was palpable.

It is this same emotional overlay that I sense when I witness the current Commonwealth government's outlook towards the next financial year when they will finally control both houses of Parliament and all restraints on their enthusiasm to impose their political will on the hapless Australian public are lifted.

Indeed it is with almost messianic zeal that the government is approaching the future. Their advisors must be drooling in anticipation of the plethora of legislation which can be created and rubber stamped through the Parliament. With no effective opposition to speak of the checks and balances that are generally so characteristic of a Westminster system have been removed and for the next few years we are in for a deluge of legislation that will attempt to 'liberalise' the face of Australian politics.

The very concept of collective bargaining against rapacious employers is under threat with the advent of the industrial relations legislation which is likely to be imposed upon us. Already one minister - in charge of DEWR has imposed restrictions in his department which preclude anyone working there who does not wish to sign up to an AWA (Australian Workplace Award). In this department there is no point in belonging to a union and there is no point in suggesting that you would like to have a CHOICE - there is no choice. It is accept the conditions that are on offer or go without a job.

Combine this with the messianic zeal of certain ministers to:

• bring back laws which prevent women from controlling their own bodies;
  
• attempt to take over the educational systems in this country and make them (no doubt) for profit organisations which are more concerned with the 'bottom line' than with providing people with an education;
  
• change the health system to facilitate the interests of big business rather than the welfare of the citizenry;
  
• sell assets that the taxpayers paid for once and ask them to 'invest' in them once again;

That is the future that is facing Australians as we head off into the next financial year.

I wonder how many people in this country will be grateful for the 'benefits' that their voting behaviour will bring into their lives? I wonder what will change in three years time as the impact of the changes which will be wrought in the next few months come to bear on their lives.

Let us all contemplate what we as Australians want our community to be like and what we are prepared to put up with and what we really want. Then let us take our issues directly to our politicians and make it quite clear to them how their behaviour is likely to influence our future voting behaviour. After all there is no point in relying on the opposition, we forgot to give them the power to curb the messianic zeal of the current government, so I guess we just may have to do the job ourselves this time or suffer the consequences.