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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=357623" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>In The First Elective Ministry</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">In the neolithic age of our Australia, long ago,<br>There dwelt a wise old chieftain, as you probably don't know;<br>His royal tastes and habits I won't venture to describe,<br>But his plain horse-sense was noted and applauded by his tribe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now, this chief was not a despot, as you will, perhaps, conclude;<br>For, though debate was noisy and procedure somwhat crude,<br>There did exist a Parliament, elected in due form,<br>With a Premier and Ministry - which made things pretty warm.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For the style of Party Government, in vogue about that time,<br>Was inclined to lead to discord - not to mention down-right crime.<br>For boomerangs and waddies were used freely in debate;<br>And, as a rule, ex-Ministers were spoken of as 'late.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For the salaries of Ministers were not to be despised;<br>And 'emoluments of office ' were, indeed, most highly prized.<br>The Premier got five 'possums and ten fat grubs a day,<br>While a snake and three gohannas were his colleagues' daily pay.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then other perks and privileges happened such aa these;<br>The Minister controlling Rain and State Corroborees<br>Got all his ochre on the nod - in other words, his clothes.<br>So portfolios were coveted, as you may well suppose.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In consequence, the whole procedure of the House was 'fight.'<br>No Ministry created in the morning saw the night.<br>And all the posts were sinecures the shorthand writers filled;<br>For the press-reports read briefly: 'Sixteen wounded; seven killed.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now, the practical King Billy could not fail to recognise<br>That this bad old Party system was not either right or wise.<br>Public works were at a standstill, and the tribe was losing wealth.<br>Not to mention that the House's sittings menaced public health.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The Department of Smoke-Signalling was in a shocking state;<br>And Defence had been forgotten in the noise of the debate.<br>The Flint and Sandstone Bonus Bill was shelved time and again;<br>And the tribe was getting very short of able-bodied men.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The commoon-sensed old chief sat down and pondered hard and long;<br>And thought him out a simple scheme to right this crying wrong.<br>Then he dissolved the Parliament and called his tribe around,<br>And told his plan; and all agreed his arguments were sound.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'But then,' they said, 'it's most unconstitutional, you know.<br>Besides, we have no precedent; therefore you have no show.'<br>But Bill dispensed with precedent and substituted sense -<br>Whereat the anger of the tribal Tories was immense.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'The nation's welfare,' said the chief, 'is what I have in mind;<br>And this bad old Party Government must all be left behind.<br>Henceforth I set my Parliament a task it may not shirk,<br>And members will, please, understand that fighting isn't work.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'We'll have Elective Ministries, and they shall rule unharmed<br>For forty moons; and members must attend the House unarmed.<br>Next election you may club them, should their actions prove unwise;<br>And for the second term the victors may enjoy the prize.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">They called it 'socialistic'; but King Billy had his way.<br>For forty moons each Minister enjoye dhis place and pay.<br>Since only once within that time the chance of office came,<br>The members took to making laws, and ceased to 'play the game.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Peace and prosperity henceforth smiled on the chieftain's reign;<br>And, ere he died, he said, 'Behold, I have not ruled in vain.<br>Down through the future ages shall my Great reform descend.<br>Australia shall bless my Simple Notion till the end.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But, if you study recent history, you'll note King Bill<br>Was most forlonly out of it; for they are at it still.<br>The daily fight for fatted grubs excites the same old gang;<br>And debate is mainly waddy, and division boomerang.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Clarence+Michael+James+Stanislaus+Dennis">Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis</a><div class=q>
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<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=357623" data-title="In The First Elective Ministry de Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis" data-description="In the neolithic age of our Australia, long ago,
There dwelt a wise old chieftain, as you probably don't know;
His royal tastes and habits I won't venture to describe,
But his plain horse-sense was noted and applauded by his tribe.

Now, this chie..."></div>
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