Opinion
Issue No. 18 - August/September 2004
Shooting the messengers
When international City Planner Jon Montgomery raised criticisms of Adelaide and South Australia declaring, that he was leaving, some reported responses were rejection and good riddance!
How unfortunate. I would have liked to have heard his comments and learn about the experiences that prompted him to leave. Intelligent people of international acclaim do not usually roam the world dumping on cities without some justification. To react emotionally or become defensive may be good for populist politics, but it may also be self justification or denial.
We live in a world of perceptions and each person‘s perceptions are their reality. People base their decisions upon their perceptions and petty argument, does not lead to intelligent or constructive solutions.
How could it be that a person, who fell in love with Adelaide 18 months ago could be so disillusioned and want to move away in such a short time?
We all know that South Australia has a small industrial base, small population, limited job opportunities and geographic isolation from the major markets and population density of the eastern States. SA also has a small economic base from which to generate tax revenues and infrastructure development. The last thing we need is a prickly introspective culture that is over reactive and defensive. If we can benefit from external input, let‘s hear it. Denial is unhelpful and obstructs the recognition of problems and the subsequent actions to correct them.
Of course SA has many fine enterprising people with good ideas and commitment to being among the world‘s best, in many fields. There are many unique scenic places and there is a distinctive architecture that has been preserved. The climate is fine and the access to coastal waters and near bushland is very convenient. But let‘s not kid ourselves that this is paradise and that there are no problems.
Tom Playford observed that "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar" and the...
