Cinema

Gadfly 225 By Robert Macklin There’s something so rare and special about Ash Barty’s decision to walk away from competitive tennis at the very top of her game that it’s thrown lots of us into confusion. Even the sporting commentariat has been shocked into virtual silence. Partly, I suspect, it’s because there is a presumption in our whitefella world that ‘competition’ is what life’s all about, so the very idea of someone walking away from it just doesn’t compute. And to do so when you’re being showered with praise and more money than you could spend in a lifetime seems, well, a bit whacky. After all, our whole culture is built around the glorification of ‘the competitive spirit’. Our institutions are built upon it. The much-vaunted British legal system, for example, is a competition between lawyers as to who can tell the most convincing story. The parliamentary system itself has become a competition between two opposing sides and these days it’s being taken to such extremes – in the United States especially - as to endanger democracy and effective governance itself. And of course, the idiocy of competitive whitefella systems is on graphic display in Ukraine, with the live possibility that the next step will be weapons of mass destruction. Perhaps Ash Barty’s Aboriginal heritage plays a part. In First Nations society the concept of political parties never caught on. Instead, the elders talked their issues through over the campfires. Tribal feuds were rife, but they were offset by the peace-making ceremonies of makarrata. Massacres were unknown till we came along. Tennis is competitive, but it’s not a contact sport (and nor is cricket where Ash Barty also excelled.) Indeed, the really good news is the only hints we’ve had for her future endeavors, is taking tennis to Aboriginal youngsters in the communities. This would be a wonderful initiative but just as important, it would engage Ash in the great movement of the first half of the twenty-first century to finally recognize and celebrate our Aboriginal past (and present.) I confess that I’ve come late to the party. But the two years I’ve been researching – and now writing – the story of Donald Thomson, the white Australian who gave his life to the Aboriginal cause, has been a revelation. Our first home-grown anthropologist, he lived the traditional life with the people of Far North Queensland, then Arnhem Land and finally the Central deserts. He organized Aboriginal coast-watchers and guerrilla fighters in the Northern Territory in WWII, and when the Japanese invasion didn’t arrive, he recruited 75 headhunters in Dutch New Guinea on sorties behind their lines until he was fearfully wounded. He returned to the fray when he healed and fought the atomic tests over Aboriginal country while taking his message of Aboriginal advancement to the heart of government. While he died in 1970, his message resonates today as the Aboriginal people – mostly through the bright, educated and articulate women – drive home the message that Australia will not be whole until we incorporate the cultural values of ‘Country’ and redeem our shocking, murderous past. Ash Barty is already a wonderful asset to the movement, and no one has the right to demand more of her. But I suspect that if she does establish a Tennis Foundation to take the game to the country towns and communities, it will not only raise the profile of Aboriginality, but draw her into the heart of the movement. We can but hope. robert@robertmacklin.com

Reading—A beer with Baz

The two full schooners had difficulty in keeping up with Mick’s long strides and the remaining froth was clinging to the top of the glasses as he landed them on the bar table.

‘There you go, Bazza. Get that into you…...How about Joshy eh? The Easter Bunny has come early with that Federal Budget. There is something in there for everybody.’

Bazza took a sip.

‘Yeah….. plenty of chocolate in that one, Mick.’

Mick leaned in.

‘As you know, Bazza, I’m a ScoMo fan, but some days I think Joshy should be wearing the baseball cap.’ Bazza took a very generous sip. ‘Well Mick, only the days end in a ‘y’…… We can agree there is plenty of chocolate in the budget but I don’t think it is the role of the government to promote decay. In fact, it should be addressing it, and better still, preventing its growth.’ ‘Come off it, Bazza, name a part of the economy where the boys haven’t splashed a bit of cash.’ ‘Mick it’s not a case of just throwing money at a problem. I don’t think Joshy is going to wake up in twenty years time and say ‘That 2022 budget addressed the big problems of the day.’ I can’t find any initiative in the budget that takes on a big issue in a comprehensive, long term manner……from climate change to housing.’ ‘Bazza, Bazza, Bazza……. Joshy is making it easier to buy a house. There’s the Home Guarantee Scheme with drops in minimum deposits and the government now underwriting lenders’ mortgage insurance. All these initiatives sit on top of the first home buyers’ grants. You’re too harsh, Bazza.’ Mick had a sip and clicked his tongue. ‘Mick, if I was to give $100 to everybody in this pub and say you must spend it on beer…… what would you reckon?’ ‘Bazza, now you’re talking Joshy’s language. You would get my vote.’ ‘Yeah…. ain’t that the case…. but at the same time, Mick, I let the publican know that the quantity of beer in the pub must stay the same.’ Mick raised an eyebrow and rubbed his chin and motioned to speak. ‘Exactly, Mick…….Everybody is happy for a bit…..but the price of beer just goes up. It’s the same with housing. Splash some cash for first home buyers and house prices go up. The government gets it all back through capital gains tax or stamp duty and all of us home owners are happy because the price of our biggest asset has increased. Both sides of government have taken this approach all the way back to the early 1960’s. It obviously doesn’t work.’ ‘I suppose you want the government to build houses under one of your socialist schemes, Bazza?’ ‘There is a role for that, Mick…… but a bigger solution is required. The way I see it, there are billions of dollars tied up in home equity in Australia and that’s all fine, and people can choose to passively enjoy that home price growth. However, I reckon the government should explore options where current home owners are actively encouraged to use some of that equity to finance the supply side of housing.There is already a model up and running with Defence Housing Australia. It provides low risk investment, guaranteed rental income and no stigma attached to living in the accommodation. At the end of the day, home owners would still be invested in real estate, but rightfully rewarded for using their equity to increase the supply of housing. You will also need some targeted land release at the three levels of government and thoughtful planning.’ ‘Joshy might go with something like that, Bazza. It actually would be cheaper than just throwing money at the problem.’

‘Well I reckon Joshy would have a much better chance of being stopped in the street and thanked in twenty years time for making housing affordable, than for reducing the price of petrol for six months back in 2022.’