In The First Elective Ministry Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABB CCDD EEF GGHH IIII JK IILL FFMM NNOO A II PPQQ RRI HHS TTU VVWW| In the neolithic age of our Australia long ago | A |
| There dwelt a wise old chieftain as you probably don't know | A |
| His royal tastes and habits I won't venture to describe | B |
| But his plain horse sense was noted and applauded by his tribe | B |
| - | |
| Now this chief was not a despot as you will perhaps conclude | C |
| For though debate was noisy and procedure somwhat crude | C |
| There did exist a Parliament elected in due form | D |
| With a Premier and Ministry which made things pretty warm | D |
| - | |
| For the style of Party Government in vogue about that time | E |
| Was inclined to lead to discord not to mention down right crime | E |
| For boomerangs and waddies were used freely in debate | F |
| And as a rule ex Ministers were spoken of as 'late ' | - |
| - | |
| For the salaries of Ministers were not to be despised | G |
| And 'emoluments of office ' were indeed most highly prized | G |
| The Premier got five 'possums and ten fat grubs a day | H |
| While a snake and three gohannas were his colleagues' daily pay | H |
| - | |
| Then other perks and privileges happened such aa these | I |
| The Minister controlling Rain and State Corroborees | I |
| Got all his ochre on the nod in other words his clothes | I |
| So portfolios were coveted as you may well suppose | I |
| - | |
| In consequence the whole procedure of the House was 'fight ' | - |
| No Ministry created in the morning saw the night | J |
| And all the posts were sinecures the shorthand writers filled | K |
| For the press reports read briefly 'Sixteen wounded seven killed ' | - |
| - | |
| Now the practical King Billy could not fail to recognise | I |
| That this bad old Party system was not either right or wise | I |
| Public works were at a standstill and the tribe was losing wealth | L |
| Not to mention that the House's sittings menaced public health | L |
| - | |
| The Department of Smoke Signalling was in a shocking state | F |
| And Defence had been forgotten in the noise of the debate | F |
| The Flint and Sandstone Bonus Bill was shelved time and again | M |
| And the tribe was getting very short of able bodied men | M |
| - | |
| The commoon sensed old chief sat down and pondered hard and long | N |
| And thought him out a simple scheme to right this crying wrong | N |
| Then he dissolved the Parliament and called his tribe around | O |
| And told his plan and all agreed his arguments were sound | O |
| - | |
| 'But then ' they said 'it's most unconstitutional you know | A |
| Besides we have no precedent therefore you have no show ' | - |
| But Bill dispensed with precedent and substituted sense | I |
| Whereat the anger of the tribal Tories was immense | I |
| - | |
| 'The nation's welfare ' said the chief 'is what I have in mind | P |
| And this bad old Party Government must all be left behind | P |
| Henceforth I set my Parliament a task it may not shirk | Q |
| And members will please understand that fighting isn't work | Q |
| - | |
| 'We'll have Elective Ministries and they shall rule unharmed | R |
| For forty moons and members must attend the House unarmed | R |
| Next election you may club them should their actions prove unwise | I |
| And for the second term the victors may enjoy the prize ' | - |
| - | |
| They called it 'socialistic' but King Billy had his way | H |
| For forty moons each Minister enjoye dhis place and pay | H |
| Since only once within that time the chance of office came | S |
| The members took to making laws and ceased to 'play the game ' | - |
| - | |
| Peace and prosperity henceforth smiled on the chieftain's reign | T |
| And ere he died he said 'Behold I have not ruled in vain | T |
| Down through the future ages shall my Great reform descend | U |
| Australia shall bless my Simple Notion till the end ' | - |
| - | |
| But if you study recent history you'll note King Bill | V |
| Was most forlonly out of it for they are at it still | V |
| The daily fight for fatted grubs excites the same old gang | W |
| And debate is mainly waddy and division boomerang | W |
Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis
(1)
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