Question Time

Canberra is a compromise.

Like all well-intentioned compromises, it excites no one.  A bit like kissing your sister.  You see, Australia’s capital city – like America’s – was sited and built to appease a regional rivalry.

In Australia’s case, residents of both Sydney and Melbourne thought their city should be the country’s capital.  The creation of Canberra was the solution.

The capital city, designed by one-time Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice Walter Burley Griffin, is long on symbolism, short on functionality.

The circle is one of the city’s key design elements. While it may look good on landscape design rendering, it makes getting from Point A to Point B a bit challenging.

I can imagine the meeting when Griffin presented his plans:  “And so Mr. Prime Minister, with this design you will have a city that communicates to your citizens the strength, continuity and unity of this great country.”

Too bad no one thought to say:  “All well and good, but how the hell is someone supposed to drive on this?  Get me someone who know how to lay out a proper grid!”

Like most people who visit this city, we had come to Canberra because we had business with the Federal Parliament. Wayne Swan, a friend of twenty years, had recently risen to the position of Federal Treasurer.

Swan’s office had kindly coordinated tickets for us to attend Question Time, a regular occurrence in parliamentary systems where Backbench Members of Parliament are allowed time to question the Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet.

On the day we attended, Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd displayed the rhetorical skills that have helped earn him a 70% approval rating.

Rudd was elected in November 2007, ending 11 years of conservative government under John Howard.  Americans may remember Howard because he was the last world leader willing to be photographed with George Bush.  He paid the price at the polls.

In a sense, Rudd was on the leading edge of change in governments around the world.  He’s young, smart, pragmatic — and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese.  A sign of shifting priorities in this part of the world.

During Question Time Rudd displayed discipline and focus, driving home his Labor Government’s key messages while skewering the Opposition on their own questions.

At one point, Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull mustered all the indignation he could:  “When will the Prime Minister finally relent and  strongly encourage our banks to pass along the full value of recent interest rate cuts to Australian families?”

Rudd responded:  “Mr. Speaker, I should think the honorable Leader of the Opposition would want to avoid the subject of interest rates given that his party, when last in government, presided over ten consecutive interest rate hikes.”

And so it went, question after question.  Rudd’s Labor Government in complete control of the debate, the opposition floundering for an issue to gain advantage.

Another friend who follows Australian politics closely explained:  “Rudd’s got it pretty easy right now.  The Opposition is hopeless.  Things are likely to change as the economy worsens, but at the moment Labor is in command.”

He added: “Now, can you imagine if Bush had to go before Congress and answer questions several times a week?  That would have been something worth watching.”