The other day, I switched on the TV during a meal. I observed what was apparently “Question Time” for the House of Representatives (forgive me if this is incorrect, but politics is not a forte of mine).

What I observed, however, was hardly what I would describe as “question time”.

I could have called it anything from Talking-Over-The-Top-of-Others Time, to Arguing-for-the-Sake-of-Arguing Time, to I-Don’t-Agree-With-You-So-I’m-Going-to-be-Rude Time. I saw politicians making overly large assumptions about their opponents’ statements, being critical of what the other party’s members were saying and even shaming the opposition publicly.

Is this how the leaders of our country should be behaving? Are Australia’s problems best solved by a bunch of mud-slinging and rowdy politicans, arguing with and publicly shaming each other?

Personally, I’d prefer to work with others to find solutions that work. I’d prefer not to get another person’s back up because one day I might turn around to find they’ve planted a knife in mine. I’d prefer to lead a nation by example.

But that’s just me.