To address environmental, social, political and economic issues in Australia in order to create a more sustainable, just and equitable society
Australia has to change, in order to create a just, human society – one where all can live and thrive with dignity, where all the requirements of life are available, and where all can prosper. Such a society also has to develop in an environmentally sustainable way. The Australian environment is extremely fragile, and our interaction with it has to be based on good science, which promotes positive short-term and long-term outcomes.
A national water policy needs to be developed. Sustainable land management practices need to be adopted as the basis for land use, agriculture, mining and industrial development. Further, the causes of climate change and global warming must be addressed as a matter of great urgency.
The Aboriginal people, the First Australians, demand a number of reforms. Their voices should be listened to, and their demands met.
Our elected representatives should be of the highest standard. Strong laws need to be enacted to make sure all elected representatives behave ethically and adhere to their election platforms.
A new, republican constitution is also required, and should include a comprehensive Bill of Rights. Although Australia follows the International Bill of Human Rights (it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and has ratified both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which are legally binding), it does not have a Bill of Rights in its current constitution and nor has it passed a national Human Rights Act, so its support for human rights is somewhat weak. As a matter of principle, Australia should uphold universal human rights and values in all its international treaties and domestic laws, and upholding these rights and values should take priority over other considerations.
Public primary, secondary and tertiary education should be freely available for all Australian citizens.
The economy also needs to be restructured, to include a range of public, cooperative and private enterprises. Other initiatives include: adopting a full-employment policy, creating a manufacturing sector that produces the needed goods, and guaranteeing purchasing capacity to all.
These and other ideas are set out in this website, which outlines a progressive agenda for Australia as we head towards the middle of the twenty-first century.
