Party Politics is not about democracy, a Politician is meant to represent [re-present] what the electorate wants, however, a Politician that belongs to a Party has a higher duty of representation that requires that he serve the wishes of the Party.
To verify that Party Politics is not about representative democracy one only need examine the intent outlined in Party Platforms.
Exampling the 1982 Labor Platform we find unashamed support for the United Nations at the expense of National Sovereignty.
We find full endorsement of the New International Economic Order that has reduced the Australia to a Debtor Nation.
We also find that Free Trade is a mainstay of Labor despite the utter demise of homegrown industry and farming.
The following is extracted from an interview with Don Chipp on 5AA on 10/6/92.
When you are elected to parliament, the Party Whip calls you into his office, this is Labor and Liberal, and says, Congratulations Ladies and Gentlemen on winning a seat in parliament and welcome to Canberra.
I have just got one thing to say to you on this your first day in parliament, while you are here you will think and act and speak and vote according to how we the party tell you to.
You can forget all that rubbish you talked about during your election campaign about serving your fellow human beings and
your constituency, while you are here you will do as we the Party tells you.
Now the first time they vote, probably on the first day in parliament, the chances are they will be voting against their conscience, against the wishes of their constituents but in accordance with the party
Now the first time you do this it is pretty hard to do, it is a hell of a shock to the system, because you have nurtured this grand vision all your life that when you get up there you are going to
serve the people.
You are not, you are serving the party.
Now why I say your listeners and the general public are to blame for it is because they condone it, they condone the party system.
We are the only country in the world to my knowledge, the
democratic world, that have this very strict party discipline system.
If you vote against the party once in the Labor party you are expelled automatically. The Liberals say they have a system where you can use your conscience, but you can't, you cross the floor a couple of times in a year and your elected chairman will receive a nice letter from the Prime Minister saying, We don't think this chap should get preselection next time.
So it is a bad system.
The all too trusting and gullible public have allowed Party Politics to usurp democracy, much of this power shift can be attributed to tightly controlling Public Opinion.
