How have your political views changed over time?

Many years ago, I was briefly a member of a political party in the Northern Territory. I was – and still am – interested in politics, but these days, not as a political party member.

(That said, I was asked several times to consider running for politics in the Northern Territory. I declined, believing I could better serve the community as an educator in our schools.)

My very brief flirtation with organised politics as a member of this particular party, lasted for about 12 months. It ended when I went to the party’s annual conference.

I was talking to one of our elected members, who happened to be the minister of education at the time.

This was just as a recess break was about to happen. As the conference broke up, this gentleman was inundated by party members and blocked around him like flies around a honeypot. They were trying hard to attract his attention, and all of them were trying to appeal and to be noticed.

I decided that if that was the way politics happened, with people looking to be noticed in some gratuitous way, that was not for me. At the time, I remarked to the politician that “flies around a honeypot” seemed to be the way it was working.

I remain interested in politics, but from the viewpoint of the job I had – as a principal – always operated as a person who made very sure that he and his school presented apoltically.

As the years have gone by I have become increasingly appalled by the way so many politicians are in politics for their own personal good, putting their wants and needs very much ahead of the needs of people who have elected them. They are a class on their own and sadly, there are very few politicans for whom I have respect.