It is said that ‘where there is no vision, the people perish’. I would argue that where there is no passion, the politicians perish.

There has been much discussion about the lack of any grand vision in the current Australian Federal Election campaign. It is so uninspiring, unmotivating and uninteresting that the only reason people will vote is because voting is compulsory in Australia!

Last month’s Leaders’ Debate (more a discussion) was a farce and in the campaign the media and public have been distracted by trivial matters and no robust examination of policy has taken place. I call it the election we had to have!

We should not only focus on the lack of vision. We should also be concerned about the lack of any passion in the leaders. Before we have vision we need to have passion, the fire in the belly. The thing that makes you get out of bed in the morning. Knowing what you stand for. It seems politicians have had passion by-pass! We don’t know what they really stand for any more. This lack of any passion is truly amazing  and disheartening to observe.

Last week in the Hamer Oration, professor Ross Garnaut accused both parties of a failure of leadership over the past decade. He says that leadership “is an essential missing ingredient in contemporary public policy.”

“Meeting the…challenges ahead of us requires the restoration of the political culture of the reform period. It requires the rehabilitation of the independent centre of the Australian polity. It requires restoration of the role of transparent, independent authoritative analysis of policy issues, and public education on the results of sound analysis.”

True leadership comes from passion. And leadership is action not just a position. From realising and harnessing our passion, we acquire vision for the cause and then finally the mission, the way to do it. Passion, Vision, Mission.

It is interesting to note that every company and corporation globally, in their annual reports, will proudly show their vision and mission statement. None will have a ‘statement of passion’. Why do they exist. What drives them. What is the fire in the belly.

When politicians realise their passion, and speak and argue with conviction, then this election will change and it will become slightly more interesting. But we live in hope. Seven more days till its all over.