English folk-punk-poet Billy Bragg has said that we should “pity the Australian citizen”, who is having to choose between a Labor party which is “hotch-potch” and a Liberal party which is “decidedly slimy”.
Taking to his Facebook page to give us his two cents, Bragg posited:
“Everyone knows that they are good for you, but in the testosterone driven political climate of the Antipodes, will enough people order the Greens to make a difference to the outcome? My advice? Ask the waiter for a box, take the whole thing home and see if the dog will eat it for dinner.”
Bragg also provides a link to a recent presentation constructed by the BBC, which discusses the implications of Australia’s compulsory voting system. You can check out the full statement below.
Bragg follows in the footsteps of Radiohead and Atoms For Peace frontman Thom Yorke, who recently shared an anti-Abbott essay with his plethora of Twitter followers. Much like Yorke, Bragg is known for his left-wing activism and political songwriting.
Billy Bragg will be taking part in the opening keynote Q&A of the BIGSOUND industry conference, which starts in Brisbane on the 10th September. He will also be performing a one-off show at Sydney’s The Factory Theatre on 13th September.
Check out his recent single, the timely No One Knows Nothing Anymore, and his full statement below.
Watch: Billy Bragg – No One Knows Nothing Anymore
Billy Bragg on the Australian Federal Election:
“The Australian election on Saturday presents an unappetizing prospect. Pity the Australian citizen, having to cast a vote by law, compelled to order something from the menu.
“The Labor Party are offering a hotch-potch, thrown together from all the ingredients left in their cupboard. Anyone ordering this must be fearful of a right-ward lurch at the last moment that threatens to put each forkful in the ear instead of the mouth.
“The Coalition are offering up something that looks decidedly slimy. The fact that they’re reluctant to tell you what’s in it doesn’t help. And has for how much it’s going to cost you, well you’ll just have to wait and see.
“Everyone knows that they’re good for you, but in the testosterone driven political climate of the Antipodes, will enough people order the Greens to make a difference to the outcome?
“My advice? Ask the waiter for a box, take the whole thing home and see if the dog will eat it for dinner.”
