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.
The “fair go” has been part of Australia’s psyche for decades, but what does it mean in practice? As Miriam Margolyes explores the “fair go” in the new tv series Australia Unmasked, Next25 has been doing some investigating of our own. Does your idea of the “fair go” sit closer to equality or equity?
The future Australia wants depends on the environment, society, and the economy. They are tightly connected and it’s not helpful to elevate one completely or deny another altogether. Frustratingly, some loud voices do just that, and it’s a favourite high-school debating tactic of those involved in the culture wars. It’s prevalent on the left and the right.
Despite the rebranding of COAG as National Cabinet and an almost-universal exhaustion with hyper-partisanship and the culture wars, the unusual period of cooperative politics and federalism in response to COVID-19 has been short-lived. Its brief moment of glory has been bookended by revelations of subverting the democratic system, first by the Coalition and now by the ALP.
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.
In challenging times, our values can be tested. What is really important to us? Are we focussing on the right things? If we don’t know the answers to those questions, it’s a great time to pause and reflect, so we can let our values guide what is most important to us. Every upset we face is an opportunity for growth. In our values-based leadership work with parliamentarians we talk about pausing to ask ourselves what we call "transformative questions" for those times when we are being challenged.
