While these ideas seem to be currently out of favour, there are some small pockets of parliamentary activity which offer hope and encouragement.
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There a large number of public misinformation campaigns running at the moment, and the worst among them is the anti-vaccine lobby.
Another huge step forward was made with the HPV vaccine. It has been shown to reduce infection rates by over 90%, it provides protection against 5 other cancer causing viruses, and it has been proven to be very safe. While there are always reactions to any vaccine, more than 93% of reactions are minor (leading to little more than skin irritation), and there is no link to the causation of auto-immune disorders (like rheumatoid arthritis).
The case for the use of the vaccine is well laid out in a recent article on The Conversation.
A similar scare campaign is being run in Townsville against the fluoridation of drinking water. The evidence for fluoridation is compelling. The benefits are outlined here. And the politics and the conspiracy theories behind it are effectively bebunked here. Townsville was a pioneer in this area in Queensland, something we should be proud of. It's a real shame that cranks and conspiracy theorists are holding sway over poorly informed politicians, especially those in the Newman government.
I have been saddened to hear of the planned departure from Federal politics of Oakshott and Windsor. They were two independent minded individuals who made many of their decisions based on the available evidence, and we should applaud them for that.
As far as the debasement of the public and the political conversation goes... Oakshott summed it up well when he appeared on ABC's Lateline. That interview is below.