The Prime Minister’s call for a ceasefire on industrial relations and two respected former Premiers’ acknowledgement of the benefits of State cooperation could be harbingers of a new, and better, way of making Australia’s future.
But that is far from certain.
As the immediate crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic subsides and the Bushfires Royal Commission begins public hearings, old behaviours are already re-emerging. Powerful forces that benefited from the way things were before the crises are re-engaging to secure their interests – just look at who’s vying for influence in the Federal government’s post-pandemic energy policy. And old rivalries are bubbling back to the surface – just look at the Premiers arguing over border closures.
That’s not entirely a bad thing. After all, a democracy thrives on a genuine battle of genuine ideas. But, after over two decades of policy stagnation on the important opportunities and challenges for Australia, the country is not the place Australians want. As a society, we have not maximised and shared our success across current and future generations.
Australia now has a choice. Revert to hyper-partisan attacks and lazy, petty bickering about trivialities. Or lock in the positive innovations and behaviours from the response to the bushfires and COVID-19.
Three precedents stand out.
The Prime Minister has today announced that the National Cabinet will replace COAG. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform what had become a moribund and politicised mechanism into a dynamic engine of cooperation and reform across the Federation. Starting with jobs makes sense in the immediate recovery from the shock of COVID-19. Over time, the National Cabinet should evolve to focus on up to three major policy challenges that span election cycles and jurisdictional boundaries – such as climate change and energy, tax, and Closing the Gap.
In a refreshing change, politicians and the media respected the advice of experts, and placed them front and centre in the overall response to COVID-19 and the State responses to the bushfires. This has led not only to successful outcomes but also to increased trust in government – at least for the moment. It would not take much for State and Federal governments to adopt this expert-informed approach in all policy areas. So, rather than cutting funding to research programs at universities and the CSIRO, governments should instead increase support. This should cover not only research to “fight the last wars”, but also on general research. After all, who knows what the next crisis will be and what expertise will be required.
After honesty, compassion is the top characteristic Australians want in their Prime Minister. Having been sorely missing in the Federal government’s response to the bushfire crisis, compassion has been a central theme in responding to COVID-19 – from local governments waiving parking restrictions, to State governments freezing cost increases, to the Federal government’s JobKeeper and mental health initiatives.
Imagine the future Australia could make if Federal and State governments worked more effectively together on major challenges, if experts informed more of the decisions made by our elected representatives, and if everyone brought compassion to everything they did.
Ralph Ashton, Executive Director