G'Day From Melbourne!

Well after the election, I had to work at returning to the real work of being a producer instead of just a talker. I started looking at different career opportunities. I decided at this point it would be great to get some international work experience and an international perspective of politics. I found an incredible career opportunity in Melbourne, Australia. I have never been to Australia, but have always heard great things about it, and it looks like such a beautiful country. So I got a visa, and packed my bags and went.

Apparently to some left-wingers on facebook, I'm not allowed to pursue career goals internationally, and if I do that suddenly means I have no freedom to have an opinion on what is happening back home. But in any case, on Nov. 14th, I arrive on the shores of the wonderful country of Australia in the city of Melbourne!

While I've only been here for little over a week, and haven't had much of a chance to read the papers as I'm getting settled in, I have noticed some very interesting differences. From what I have read in the newspapers, I notice Australian politics doesn't dominate the news in such a salacious, vindictive or heavily spun way as in Canadian news. I also notice the way Australian politicians talk is not as authoritarian or presumptuous as to be able to claim to know what all Australians agree with or think, like Canadian politicians attempt to do.

I actually cried when I was in Australian when I came to the realization of how authoritarian Canadian society, and how our Canadian identity is so tightly bound to that of government. Maybe it's because Canadian confederation wasn't created out of positive ideals to forge something greater, but more of a political necessity because of anti-americanism.

That is the other refreshing thing is to not have to listen to the anti-americanism, anti-capitalism that is so pervasive back home. While the news media in Canada and Canadian politicians are trying to profit off of the political capital of the economic downturn, Australians by and large seem resilient, and know it will pass. I wish Canadian politicians and the Canadian media would stop treating this downturn like the end of the world. It's a serious problem, but screaming like school girls won't solve it.

I have to say I was happy to read in the National Post that Mike Harris spoke up after so many years, and wrote about the economic downturn. Once again, without spin, and lots of substance, he was direct about the problems facing the Ontario economy. We haven't heard talk from a politician like that in years. I thought Stephen Harper and the federal conservatives would follow in his footsteps, but sadly I was mistaken. Unfortunately they have moved so far left, and have been engulfed by the mainstream media.