KCP - Catholic Diocese of Broome

Much has been made in the lead up to the coming federal election of the integrity or lack of it in relation to our political leaders. We seem to have allowed the notion of the common good to be corrupted somehow, so that it now stands for what is, at worst, in my best interests, or at best in the best interests of my mates, my group, my party.
It seems to be a commonly accepted part of the political trade that leaders do not want to be told the whole truth, if this will mean that having this knowledge they will have to act in a way that they would rather not. If they will be forced to back down on a policy, discipline a colleague or admit that they might have 'got it wrong' then it is best not to know.
We know that in everyday life we do not always say what we are thinking. And for the most part, as demonstrated in a Jim Carey movie a couple of years ago, there is good reason for not saying out loud the first thing that comes into our heads. This is not what we are dealing with when talking about leadership in public life, be it in religion, business or politics. Here we are talking about considered action, that ought be based on what is for the common good of those for whom we have some responsibility.
In the gospel passage quoted above, Jesus was telling his followers that it should not be necessary to take an oath on special occasions to indicate that 'now I will tell the truth'. People's everyday behaviour ought to be such that their integrity can be taken for granted, and that truth-telling in serious matters involving the welfare of others can be relied upon. So we have to be vigilant as voters, and be prepared to seek the truth, the whole truth, from our candidates.
Low inflation and low interest rates might not provide the full truth about the economic health of our nation. As the Social Action Office in Brisbane has pointed out, we need to be looking to see what is being offered by our candidates to offset three important issues: the growing gap in household incomes which, in part, reflects a growing incidence of poverty within the Australian community; the growth of a working poor class; and the diminishment of social and community services and their increasing privatisation.
The Catholic Bishops of Australia, in their letter to Australian Catholics in preparation for the federal election, have made the point that 'the true advancement of the nation depends not just upon material prosperity, but upon building a Commonwealth for the common good.' As we prepare to cast our vote, we need to be seeking the truth about what our candidates are offering to address the needs of the most disadvantaged, and asking ourselves whether we are in truth willing to look beyond 'my interests' to ensure the best outcomes for 'the common good'.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the Bishop of Broome.