Letter to a Trainee Accountant

 “Members of the Senate, Bill 14356…” I wish they’d hurry this up. Usually the vote’s a quick Yay or Nay and then it’s all over. Now because this bill is about a pension increase, suddenly it’s a long and drawn out process as the senate president goes over the main points just to reassure the public that we actually know what we are voting for. I guess he believes that some members are still making up their minds. He should stop wasting his time; everyone already knows what they are going to vote. It was put simply this morning in the party meeting that the Liberal Party wished to block this piece of legislation. As a result, we knew that the vote would be a 38 – 38 stalemate and the bill would not be passed. I personally have no problem with the bill, in fact, it’s passing into law would benefit a sizeable percentage of my electorate but the meeting this morning made it quite clear which way to vote.

I really hope this doesn’t go overtime. Amy will probably go ballistic if I miss my daughter Sahara’s year 12 valedictory. Even If I didn’t make it, it wouldn’t be the first time. No, it would be simply be another in a long line of parent teacher interviews, music recitals as well as dance performances. When we moved to Canberra, we were all looking forward to the bright future that lay ahead. Now ten years on, many missed dinners, missed anniversaries and late nights at the office later, I seldom get to spend time with Sahara, and rarer still see my wife in any other capacity than as my accompaniment to formal occasions.

Looking back, it seems hard to justify uprooting my family from our lives in Queensland so that they could become more integrated into my new life in Canberra. How ironic. We would have probably still share a family bond if they stayed in Queensland. That way, I would have scheduled time to go home and share it with them rather than leaving family time fluid and something that can be sidelined and caught up with later. I remember when I started at the young Liberals where I met Amy. What a stunner she was. The complete package. Gorgeous to look at as well as smart and compassionate. As the years wore on and I rose to thought the ranks and eventually got elected into the senate I lost my spark. I lost touch with my electorate and with the source of my passion and drive. Maybe it was the fact that they were in another state. Or maybe it was the years of oppressive party politics. I don’t know when it happened, but I’ve become what I once detested, a career politician. I was just towing the party line and voting how they wanted, no questions asked.