Trust is shattered

Without trust, no society can function. But in this day and age, our trust in our leaders seems to be well and truly shattered. Admittedly, with today’s media, it is practically impossible not to have a spotlight shone on you and be judged for any misadventure. But some of these spotlights are illuminating truly appalling behaviour.

Jennifer Hewett has stated the current view in society is that politicians tend to be self-serving instead of placing the interests of the country first. And instances where politicians claim outrageous expenses tend to justifiably enrage the average person.

No one would protest if you needed to travel at taxpayers’ expense in order to perform your job. However, when you claim a helicopter ride as an expense in the case where a government car is clearly more appropriate, it reinforces the idea that politicians have lost the plot.

One would think that with multiple public outcries at such expenses, politicians would have moderated their behaviour. That they haven’t — and don’t seem willing to try — is a factor in the loss of our trust.

So it’s no surprise that a recent survey by Ipsos Global revealed widespread distrust of traditional politics: More than 70 per cent of Australians believe the nation “needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”.

This hampers society as a whole because leaders need us to trust that their policies benefit society as a whole. Any behaviour that undermines this trust will cause a breakdown in society.

What does it mean for young voting adults of my generation? My gut feel is that we tend to view ‘traditional’ politicians in a distrustful and perhaps cynical light. Certainly, if we had someone we could trust to run for office, we would tend to rally behind him or her. Cue the young voters who have stopped supporting mainstream political parties in America.

Could we have a situation in Australian politics where we overwhelmingly voted for a Trump-like figure? Probably. If we don’t have politicians we can trust, we might settle for the ones who just shout the loudest.

Herman Toh is a Mannkal Scholar intern at the Centre for Independent Studies