It’s Time

Today, on Australia Day, I launch the first of my new global tea sales sites, hosted by Tea Trade.

This site which ships from an Australian distribution Centre will be followed by two others as soon as possible, and perhaps more. Certainly I intend to have the US up by April and the UK up by June.

I’ve been thinking about how to launch these sites, and I came up with the (mad) idea of re-enacting famous pieces of political oratory. l’ve always been fascinated with orators from Cicero onwards, so decided impudently to have a crack myself, changing words to meet my evil needs.

The launch ones for the UK and the USA are rather obvious*, but for Australia, I decided to just pinch a great slogan and an idea. and just get into it.

So, at this point you can just watch the video of me being silly, or read the rest below it and then watch it, or even don’t. But this is the ad that will go live shortly.

The history of “It’s Time” is that it was the catchphrase of a famous Australian election campaign that put an end to 23 years of conservative rule. Under the highly charismatic Gough Whitlam, the Australian Labor Party ran a slick campaign that was years ahead of its time. He repeatedly used the catchphase, made a famous speech in Bankstown, and then the ALP launched a series TV ads with a catchy “It’s Time” jingle, complete with entertainment stars singing along.

The campaign was a roaring success, and the ALP swept to power.

What happened next was extraordinary. Depending on which side of politics you sit on, you might think that Mr. Whitlam is quite simply the greatest buffoon ever elected to office, with a massive reform agenda but no ability, who led a disastrous government that was eventually sacked in a constitutional crisis. Or you can see Mr Whitlam as a better version of Saint George, slaying a dozen dragons at once whilst the evil and cruel opposition leader, Malcolm Fraser, tied his shoelaces together with the help of The Queen,. The Governor-General, MI6, MI5, the super top secret MI4½, ASIO, ABARE** , Edgar J Hoover and Chairman Mao.

I must declare I’m more in the first camp than the second, but there is no doubt Gough Whitlam is the funniest and most charismatic figure ever in Australian Politics.

Once asked where he wanted to be buried, he replied “It doesn’t matter, I’ll only be needing it for three days”.

My video is not an impersonation, but it is a nod to an amazing moment in politics; and it seem appropriate for me to be inspired by someone with as much hubris as myself.

*Churchill and Lincoln, obviously

**The Australian Bureau of Agricultural Research Economics***

*** No other commentator has ever linked them to this pivotal moment. It's a scoop!