Politics, depression, alcohol and the future......

This little story might only be of interest to Australians interested in politics, since it concerns the leader of a minor party, Andrew Bartlett, (the Democrats here are considerably to the left of the US Democrats) - although a minor party which currently holds the balance of power in the Federal Upper House (ie can make or break legislation). However, I think it raises some interesting issues.

The incident being discussed is sort of sad and pathetic (and maybe funny!) - or disgusting and deeply troubling - or both - depending upon how you look at it.

Bartlett attended (as one does) the Liberal (Australia's federal ruling conservative party) Parliamentary Christmas party. He seems to have become sozzled - and is alleged to have absconded with five bottles of Liberal wine. Interestingly, the matter was actually followed up (generally people would let that sort of thing pass in the merriment!) and he was confronted in his offices by a vexed Liberal Senator - he became quite agitated and abusive to her - and followed her onto the floor of the Senate Chamber - which was being televised - abused her and grabbed her when she tried to get away. The story follows from this:

Depressed Bartlett on medication
By Lincoln Wright
December 14, 2003

DEMOCRATS leader Andrew Bartlett's drunken attack on a Liberal senator was linked to his decision to stop taking drugs prescribed to treat clinical depression, it has been revealed.

The Sunday Herald Sun has learned that Senator Bartlett has had psychiatric treatment for his condition and has taken anti-depressants for some time.

"His depression pre-dated his leadership. He talks about it. He's not ashamed to do that," a Democrats source said.

Senator Bartlett came off his medication in the belief he would be at his sharpest for the debate over the Government's Medicare package.

But that is believed to have led to him drinking heavily and clashing with Senator Jeannie Ferris over five bottles of wine she said he took from a Liberal Christmas party.

"I suspect he wanted to clear his mind for the last two weeks of Parliament when legislation is debated and often rushed through," the source said.

"Anti-depressants slowed his thinking. But those rushed weeks required him to think faster. We think that's why he went off medication. It was a matter of striking a balance between what he could take and what he could handle."

Senator Bartlett has spoken of the struggle many Australians face on a daily basis.

"I think that in the past, and still sometimes today, attitudes towards mental illness, towards depression and towards psychological disorders are not as favourable as they should be," he said.

"People with physical illnesses that are easy to see are still much more likely to have their conditions acknowledged than people with psychological illnesses or depression."

The Democrats have given Senator Bartlett a last chance to recover his mental balance. They see his illness as something to be worked through.

But the party could be wiped out at the next election if he remains as leader. Newspoll data indicates the Democrats' share of the vote is between 1 and 2 per cent in Victoria and 1 per cent nationally, but the Bartlett controversy is certain to force that figure down.



Thus far, the Dems are sticking with him. I wonder how many parties would. Should they? Some people might think treated depression a problem for a politician - do you? Does it make a difference how much power they happen to have? Ought this kind of dumb incident to trigger resignation - does it matter that it was caught on the telly? Or are such shenanigans part of the great warp and weft of political life?(The Liberals are demanding his resignation - interestingly, my state's previous Liberal premier, last christmas, got very drunk and harassed a female journalist! She went to the loo to escape him - he followed her in, to "attempt to apologise"! He later said his drink had been "spiked with ecstasy" - no proof offered.....I only found out about that one last night.)

Generally, thank heavens, in Oz, pollies' private lives are off limits - unless matters are directly related to politics - thought there has recently been a sad decline from that custom in relation to the new leader of the opposition. They do not that often, though, get caught on camera mucking up in the House!