The Australia election is wrapped up, with a few seats going down to the wire and requiring a full count – still to be announced.
One thing is clear, Labor have won and will govern with a significant majority.
The leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton, has failed to win back his own seat, and I must confess that I am glad to see the back of him. I am glad because I believe that he was a bad faith actor, a politician that preyed on fear and division as opposed to positive and inclusive vision. I didn’t like the way he performed as a government minister in the coalition government, and I didn’t like the way he did politics as the opposition leader. Clearly, I was not alone.
Weirdly, watching his concession speech, for the election and his own seat, it was the first time I felt him speaking like someone with some humility and understanding. The black and white, us and them style that has been his calling card for 2 decades, giving way to a gracious concession.
We won’t have to worry about Dutton in Parliament now, at least for a couple of years.
So the Labor party have won – now what?
Will they take the significant majority and swing towards them as a mandate to push harder for traditional Labor-value policies? Protecting workers, providing assistance to those in need, helping to level the playing field for all Australians?
Will they commit to the environment? To truth in political advertising?
Will they disavow war crimes and genocide?
Will they embark on an ambitious campaign of housing and progressive tax reform? Will the clamp down on multinationals and extractive large corporations who pay little to no taxes?
Will we see the Murdoch press and Sky News-type operators take a minute to pause their relentless misinformation and fear mongering?
Will Labor finally go back to treating Australians like grown-ups, taking the time to really explain policy decisions and compromises? Will they make moves to start communicating more completely, and not only pitching themselves in sloganeering, sound bite battles with a diminished opposition?
Or will the Labor party, after a tepid first term, take the swing towards them to mean that they should continue to pursue some mediocre, compromised policies? Policies that pander to a conservative part of the electorate that will never vote for them anyway?
There are aspects of the first term government that I have felt were lacklustre, didn’t go far enough. I feel that they have walked away from some of the fundamental Labor values that make them a party for hard-working Australians. I hope that they can find their way back there from this term on.
It is hard to know, and yet we must stay vigilant.
There is room for improvement, but there always is.
There is room for stronger measures in a range of areas, but there always is.
Sometimes there are complex reasons for compromise, sometimes there are simple reasons. Sometimes they are full of integrity, sometimes they aren’t.
There are people who will never be happy with the result, but there always are.
I hope that this election victory heralds an era of continuing to pay attention, to bring more people into a good-faith discussion about policy and vision. I hope that the grassroots campaigns will improve the political and economic literacy of Australians, and that the government will lean into that literacy and trust that if they take bold positive action, they’ll be rewarded for it.
I hope to see more social housing, dental in Medicare, more bulk billing doctors, truth in political advertising laws, improved campaign financing and access to the political system for independents. I hope to see improved support for crisis, education, public service workers. I hope to see real wage growth, improvements and expansion of social safety net services. More money for research. More support for regional Australians. Progress towards reconciliation and truly closing the gap. I hope that we work towards a more supportive and comprehensive system of support for at-risk youth, and not just punitive, carceral punishments – meted out without consideration or humanity.
I would like to see Tax reform that benefits small businesses and people who sweat for their money rather than those who simply rent-seek. Better protections and support for home renters. Better returns from our natural mineral resources. Protection for our environment and leadership towards net-zero, renewables and sustainable agricultural practices.
I would like to see monopolies broken up. Tech, Banking, Supermarkets, Insurance, Utilities – all improved through better regulation and taxation.
I would like to see minimum wages go up, alongside productivity.
I would like to see more comprehensive access to help for people with Disabilities, for victims of family violence, for refugees, and asylum seekers.
I would like to see the standards of political discourse raised. To see politicians and pundits to demonstrate the kind of communication, debate and vision that we’d like to see at the highest level.
I would like to see ‘strength’ cease to be interpreted as simply belligerent, or stubborn. It’s easy to throw tantrums and say no, it takes real strength to stand up to bullies, to advocate for those in need, to be a voice for people who have none.
I would like to see us dump the outrageous AUKUS submarine commitment. To be a leader in the international community of integrity, character and commitment to human rights. Good friends don’t always simply agree with you, when you’re making bad decisions, good friends also call you out and hold you accountable. Australia must take the opportunity to be a truly good friend to Allies that need to be pulled up when they are acting in ways that are inconsistent with respect for humanity and the planet.
I would like to see Australia take strides towards leading the world on things that truly matter, that are truly innovative, that drive real productivity growth and provide more opportunities for regular Australians. We could be a hub and a beacon for progress in so many areas, leveraging our natural strengths and the infrastructure we’re so lucky to have.
I would like to see all of this, and more, starting from today we keep the new government accountable and remind them of this however we can. Pay attention to the long-term, pay attention to what happens and not just what the press are screaming about. Prioritise truth telling in these discussions. Measure progress against a positive vision of the future for everyone, not just yourself. Don’t fall into the cycle of reactionary, attention-grabbing outrage that dominates the media, and commit to listening and reading to more long-form discussion and analysis. Chat to your friends and family about these things with kindness, compassion, understanding and patience – demonstrate good public discourse yourself, and ask for it from others. We’ll stumble, we’ll fall, we’ll be emotional, we’ll get frustrated, we’ll have our own biases and views, and all of that can be ok. Act in good faith, find others who do the same – regardless of their political leanings, and find reasons and opportunities to hang out with/interact with people who aren’t exactly like you. It will make a world of difference. Barriers are more easily broken down in real life, doing real things, than in comment sections on the internet.
There are so many positive changes that I would like to see. I’m hopeful that we will.
In the meantime, I’m glad to see the back of Dutton.
Onwards and upwards, with lots to do and plenty still to come. This election is over, now what?