WHAT I DON'T MISS ABOUT POLITICS
It is now six months since I walked away from politics, and barely a day goes by that someone doesn't ask me what it is like. Well, it's pretty good.
Sometimes I miss the ability to have real and positive influence in community life, but that is all. I do not miss the non-stop demands of public life, the invasion of privacy, the relentless grind of functions and events. It is wonderful to have flexibility in the working day, opportunities for walks and good coffee, a chance to read something other than official documents and briefing papers.
Politics is a hard business, and it's getting harder. This is cause for concern as down the track it will influence the type of person who puts up their hand for the job. There is a risk that the only ones who will contemplate political life will be those who are beyond caring about public opinion or those who have no past, no sensitivity, nothing worth protecting. Not a good prognosis for healthy robust politics.
· Jim Soorley [exMayor the man who introduced One Book for Brisbane the year Cold River was published: 2002]