General News
14 December, 2023
MP laments demise of common sense
WESTERN Victoria MP Bev McArthur has used her final member’s statement for 2023 to lament the “death of common sense”.
Speaking during the final sitting of Parliament last month, Mrs McArthur offered a whimsical declaration on the death of a “beloved old friend”.
“As the year draws to a close, I would like to mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, common sense, remembered for cultivating such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life is not always fair and ‘Maybe it was my fault,” she said.
“Common sense lived by simple, sound financial policies – ‘Don’t spend more than you can earn’ – and reliable strategies, such as ‘Adults, not children, are in charge.’
“His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.”
Mrs McArthur cited a number of unspecified examples as evidence of the death of the concept in modern society.
“Reports of a six-year-old charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student only worsened his condition,” she said.
“Common sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing their job, which they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
“Common sense took a beating when you could not defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault or injury.
“Common sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman spilled hot coffee in her lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.”
Mrs McArthur said other logical concepts were also at risk of deterioration.
“Common sense was preceded in death by his parents truth and trust, by his wife discretion, by his daughter responsibility and by his son reason,” she said.
“He is survived by four stepbrothers: I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame and I’m A Victim.
“Not many, unfortunately, attended his funeral, because so few realised he was gone.”