Many MPs have so far failed to sign the “civility pledge” — first signed by independent MP Helen Haines. It is the most honest thing many of our political leaders have done in a while.
It is ironic that independent MP Helen Haines was the first to sign Australia’s so-called “civility pledge”, inspired by a UK initiative introduced following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox.
Haines, who has since lost both her legs in a horrific car attack, hardly needed to sign it, which states: “In my political life, I pledge to act with honesty, respect, and compassion” (a stronger pledge than the wishy-washy “civility” name implies). As many of Monday’s parliamentary tributes noted, the Indi MP is known for doing exactly that: setting an example of decency to crossbenchers and major party MPs alike.
Other independent MPs have used the moment to encourage colleagues to sign the pledge, with Curtin MP Kate Chaney calling it “a simple and poignant way to honour the contribution Helen’s made to the parliament”. Organised by a group called Compassion in Politics Australia, the pledge has since been signed by several indies and Greens, as well as a handful of Labor MPs. As of writing, no members of the Coalition or One Nation have signed it.
Related Article Block Placeholder Article ID: 1270643
We still don’t know what motivated last week’s attack, which was allegedly conducted by an individual whose views at times overlapped with Haines’. It’s unclear, too, whether more “respectful” politics would’ve prevented it. “Civility”, as Amy Remeikis has written for Deepcut, is often used to silence calls for justice, though that is clearly not the intent of the pledge at hand (The Conversation expands upon its pillars to include “a commitment to transparency and fact-based decision-making” and “put[ting] people and communities first”).
But regardless of what caused last week’s tragedy, it’s clear Australian politics desperately needs to change. This happening to Haines — probably the single most admired figure in politics — has forced many to admit that our parliament has become rather vile: a partisan pissing contest in which the public often comes second to the ambitions of careerist politicians.
Independent. Irreverent. In your inbox
Get the headlines they don’t want you to read. Sign up to Crikey’s free newsletters for fearless reporting, sharp analysis, and a touch of chaos.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
So could most of our parliamentarians sign a pledge to “act with honesty, respect, and compassion” with a straight face? Not with all of their fingers crossed behind their backs.
If my six years covering federal politics weren’t enough to put paid to that idea, the past six days certainly were. We’ve seen many politicians return to type, with Tuesday’s question time quickly slipping back into what the speaker called “bad habits”, ranging from ugly jeering to open bullying, making the chamber a deeply unpleasant place to be at 2pm on sitting days.
Related Article Block Placeholder Article ID: 1270082
Debate over a Labor dirt sheet on Haines has been unedifying for all involved (except Haines), while many are already using calls for “civility” against one another, whether that’s shadow treasurer Tim Wilson declaring Labor shouldn’t be putting forward tax bills, or a committee chair admonishing a desperate Fatima Payman — after the former Labor senator invoked Haines to beg for a response to a longstanding request for more staff — to “be better … particularly on a day like today”.
The “respect” part of the civility pledge will be difficult enough for our leaders. But it’s the “honesty” and “compassion” most will really struggle with, particularly those in One Nation, where sorry seems to be the hardest word. I’m inclined to agree with Bernard Keane that politics is not about to get better — time and again we’ve watched potential moments of change descend into the usual mud-slinging, with politicians too wound up in their partisan mindsets to show consideration, let alone compassion, for anyone who doesn’t support their worldview.
That’s not to say that party MPs shouldn’t sign the Compassion in Politics pledge. We should want a political class that at least aspires to the values of “honesty, respect, and compassion” (ideally we would wish for a society that aspired to that too). But they should sign it only if they feel they can actually live by it, putting aside their factional and political loyalties to commit to a better kind of politics.
It’s telling that so few MPs have signed it, three days into this week, but at least many are being honest in that regard: a great majority of our politicians couldn’t act with honesty, respect, and compassion if their lives depended on it.