Prayers in parliament

were raised again yesterday. 

This time the Greens leader in this state was trying to demand they be abolished. He also tried to say he had a lot of support for the idea. 

Er, no. His claim that 61% of people wanted them abolished is false. It was a "survey" of 600 people. That's a small sample in the world of politics. What is more there are issues with the sampling and the way the question was worded.  I would be more inclined to believe 61% of people had no strong feelings about the issue.

The Premier has dismissed the idea of abolishing them - and rightly so. I doubt however that we will have heard the last of this. The politician in question has in fact said that he intends to continue pursuing the matter. He is saying, "I am an atheist. I don't want any mention of religion in parliament."

It is the "I am..." which needs to be considered here. He was not asking but rather demanding his beliefs take priority. He is a member of a minority party and yet he apparently still believes he has a right to impose his  beliefs on the majority. One of his Greens colleagues had already raised the issue in federal parliament. Again the issue was dismissed. 

It seems the Greens believe "because we are the only party that cares about the environment" they have the right to dictate to everyone else. Some of them at least appear to have a breathtaking sense of entitlement.

Democracy is far from perfect. It certainly can be and is manipulated. Our system of compulsory attendance at the ballot box would have problems if that was all it was but add in the compulsory preferential voting demand and manipulation can and does occur. With just 9% of the vote the Greens obtained two seats in the twenty-two seat Upper House in the last state election. The two major parties have over 70% of the vote between them. It seems however the Greens still believe they have the right to dictate how parliament is run. 

Would it not be better to retain the prayers and, if you find them offensive, stay out of the chamber until they are over? There is no compulsion to be there.