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melwilPolitical star fades, but may shine again
When I heard that Natasha Stott Despoja will be leaving the Senate in 2008, I was surprised to find myself in tears. I'm not the sort to get sentimental about individual politicians, but for me at least, Stott Despoja was always different.
She's been a female politician who actually gives a damn about younger people. So many politicians just ignore the people between the ages of 15 and 25 unless they have a family, or they're doing something 'immoral'. Stott Despoja always stood up for the university students and other youth issues.
I suppose watching her on Good News Week made me realise that you could be young and female and politically aware. I used to love it when she took on Amanda Vandstone - they were the episodes that stand out in my mind. And then she went against her party on the GST because she didn't think it was fair. And she made me realise that it's important to stand up for what you believe is right.
Stott Despoja won't be leaving the Senate until 2008, but when she does leave it's going to leave a big gap in Australian politics.
When I heard that Natasha Stott Despoja will be leaving the Senate in 2008, I was surprised to find myself in tears. I'm not the sort to get sentimental about individual politicians, but for me at least, Stott Despoja was always different.
She's been a female politician who actually gives a damn about younger people. So many politicians just ignore the people between the ages of 15 and 25 unless they have a family, or they're doing something 'immoral'. Stott Despoja always stood up for the university students and other youth issues.
I suppose watching her on Good News Week made me realise that you could be young and female and politically aware. I used to love it when she took on Amanda Vandstone - they were the episodes that stand out in my mind. And then she went against her party on the GST because she didn't think it was fair. And she made me realise that it's important to stand up for what you believe is right.
Stott Despoja won't be leaving the Senate until 2008, but when she does leave it's going to leave a big gap in Australian politics.
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no subject
on 2006-10-22 10:56 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-10-23 11:21 am (UTC)OMG! Me too! I heard her interviewed on RN this morning and I was all teary afterward - I thought maybe I'd just woken up emotional or something (which I haven't actually ruled out...).
Just - kind of thinking it's the end of the True Believers, you know - I know that's a Labor thing but I think it applies to NSD. It's like there was an era where we hoped for more from politicians - and we actually believed we'd get it - and then Sept 11 happened and everything just died. *Sob*
no subject
on 2006-10-25 03:17 pm (UTC)true that. I picked up a postcard from uni today in which she's campaigning against the government/cretinlink.
Basically two identical twins, same income, same parental income, same address, same education everything. One can be entitled for rent assistence whilst the other is not. If you're under 25 when you enroll you become part of the youth allowance system -and you stay on that till your degree is done, and youth allowance allows for rent assistance, however if you're 25 when you begin studying it's not under youth allowance I think it's under Austudy or something like that - but basically it doesn't ever let you get rent assistance. Yet another example of cretinlink brilliance :S ...
but yeah tis sad about Natasha leaving :(