Great Advice For Political People

Here's the thing about spin - it keeps you moving in circles.  Progress, of course, isn't about repeating the wheel; it's about moving forward.  That's the challenge that faces the next generation of political people - how to break the cycle of cynicism we are living in now.

 

The best advice is nothing new - do unto others as you'd have them do unto you.

 

You won't always be doing yourself a short-term favour in staying true to yourself and bringing your conscience into partisan circles.  In fact, you may be ostracized and personally attacked for doing so.

 

They don't call it "public service" for nothing though, do they?  If more political people acted on principle, most of the messes they're in right now could have been avoided - and more energy and resources could have been spent on actually getting the people's work done.

 

 

 

There are several lessons in all of this, particularly for those who are new to the world of partisan politics. The first is never to believe what some political operative tells you, particularly about the expenses you can claim. They will head for the hills at the first sign of trouble and won't be around to defend you, or will have difficulty recalling the conversation.

 

Always stay true to yourself, even if others don't like it. It is your reputation, not theirs, that's at stake.

The second lesson is keep a record of everything, as you never know when you will need to recall where you were and what you were doing. And don't go to events or meet with people that you may have difficulty explaining. At the end of each day, make notes and ensure your schedule reflects what you actually did that day.

 

Finally, always remember that while you may have lived in luxury before you entered public life, that doesn't mean that you should live high off the hog just because taxpayers are picking up the tab. It's all right to fly in the nosebleed section of the airplane and save taxpayers' money while doing so.