A blueprint for building a better Australia
Long-term Brisbane community activist and trade unionist Adrian Skerritt spoke at the National Welfare March rally in Brisbane on Sunday 12 July 2015. Adrian is a member of the Cloudland Collective, an organisation which “stands for broadbased campaigning in defence of jobs, services and civil liberties and opposes the neoliberalism of the LNP & G20.”
In his well-received speech Adrian referred to the Cloudland Collective’s “Notes For A just Society” discussion paper, a broad analysis of the issues confonting Australia and a list of positive suggestions for recalibrating the organisational settings and parameters of our society.
Here is a transcript of Adrian’s speech, followed by The “Notes For A Just Society” discussion paper:
“Rallies like this are so important. Just to return to last year – wherever Campbell Newman went he encountered protests. Whatever the issue – closure of schools, nursing homes, attacks on civil liberties, there were people like us demanding that these our services and rights be protected.
Our rallies and protests showed that that Newman wasn’t a good premier, that his government stood for nothing more than greed and the power of the market. Those who protested, people like us, played an important role in removing that horrible govt. Protest works. Now it’s time to think about ways to get rid of Abbott and ensure that a new government is clear that the damage he has caused must be fixed.
We are here today to defend an important principle. That a compassionate society will always help people who are struggling. We reject the neo-liberal concepts of mutual responsibility, of the deserving poor. We reject the notion that poverty is something people do to themselves.
If you are struggling then you are entitled to help. Not Abbott’s idea – just enough to keep people alive. But enough to live with dignity, to have a life that is happy and meaningful.
Because at the moment that chance is being denied to the homeless of South East Queensland, denied to parents who have to rely on casual work to look after their children. Welfare is not a burden, it’s not an embarrassment. It is a core part of a compassionate, democratic society.
To improve things, Abbott must go. We can’t leave it there. If you look at Canberra today you don’t get a sense there’s much will to make things better. Far too much agreement on attacking refugees, and scapegoating Muslims. Far too much agreement about digging up coal.
We cannot achieve the meaningful, long-lasting change we need by simply voting Abbott out because the Australian economy is rigged, rigged in favour of the rich.
If you are born in one postcode, no matter your talents, you will get a good education, a nice home and you will live a long time. If you are born in another, you are likely to be denied a tertiary education, battle poor health and die early. Inequality is so dangerous. It is bad for your health. Even the IMF agrees.
We need a movement committed to genuine democracy and equality. We put together the document ”Notes for a Just society” to help the discussion.
I would like to talk about a couple of key ideas. Copies are available today, not a manifesto or anything like that – some ideas that can people add to, delete things, reorganise.
At the heart of a different society is a just economy that everyone shapes. The riches we see in Australia have been created by working people. Even though we work incredibly hard we are paid only a fraction of what we are worth.
Working people should not be just another entry in the company’s books or things to be chewed up and spat out while someone pursues a political career. The minimum wage must be massively increased and every worker should have the right to join a union and take industrial action.
And if the wealth in society has been mostly created by the majority, no government has the right to sell that wealth off, to privatise it, to let market forces wreck it.
We will not allow public health and education to become thoroughly marginal. Public hospitals and schools are far better at educating people and keeping them healthy than the private sector. So much better.
And when economic matters are being discussed, we all have a right to have a say. Where to invest, what to build, should be our call. This is why the people of Greece are so inspirational. The creditors said that there should be no referendum, that ordinary people can’t understand these financial matters.
Who better to understand austerity that those made to suffer because it. The Greek people took their chance to have the say about these weighty, complicated issues and said – no to austerity.
How much to pay a pensioner is not something to be decided on in a boardroom or a cabinet meeting. That’s what the people of Greece have taught us. Real democracy is the majority of people directing the economy.
So when Abbott wants to punish the unemployed, when he wants to attack Indigenous people who wish to live in remote areas, when he wants to cut funding to the ABC we gather together and say “no”.
And when he tries to create a distraction to the economic suffering he has caused by attacking Muslims we reach out to our Muslim neighbours, our Muslim work colleagues and stand with them.
Last year global private wealth last year grew by 12% or $17.5 trillion. In Australia the richest 20% earn 70 times as much as the poorest 20% and the gap between rich and poor is increasing.
Don’t let anyone say “we are facing tough times and we are all in this together”. We should never have to sacrifice – we didn’t create the trouble. We don’t have to accept cuts. There’s a lot of wealth in Australia – it just needs to be shared equally.”
Notes for a Just Society
1 Land rights. The creation of the modern world economy, a system that has generated poverty and grotesque inequality, required the dispossession of indigenous land. This has especially been the case in Queensland. Dispossession was and remains an act of deception and violence. Before the arrival of fences, mines and grazing animals, the land was at the heart of successful Indigenous communities. Indigenous people should remain custodians of their land.
2 Freedom of speech and the right to assemble. Residents of the city have had to fight for space to assemble and debate important issues. It often seems like every square inch of the city belongs to a corporation or a government body committed to protecting corporate interests. Year by year civil rights are eroded as more glittering malls are built. The battle for free speech and the right to demonstrate must be won.
3 The public sector and neo-liberalism. The rise of neo-liberal economic and social policies seriously threatens the public sector. Politicians such as Thatcher, Reagan, Blair, Keating and Howard have argued that the market is the best vehicle for allocating resources and instilling each citizen with sense of responsibility. Poverty is depicted as something that people bring upon themselves by making the “wrong choices” rather than being the result of deep seated economic problems. This rhetoric has been accompanied by the transfer of resources from social services to projects that exclusively benefit the corporate sector. The transfer has been achieved through outsourcing, competition and corporatisation.
a) We will not allow the public health and education to become thoroughly marginal, cash starved relics only for the truly poor. Public hospitals and schools are far better at educating citizens and keeping them healthy than the private alternatives.
b) Scientific research is best conducted by the public sector. Organisations such as CSIRO are well placed to concentrate the best scientific minds on a project and curb the impact of corporate interests on the direction and perceived value of the research. Funding to CSIRO should be immediately restored.
c) The public service should be strengthened so that it can effectively deliver social infrastructure programs. Public servants should be respected by government and “frank and fearless” advice should be highly valued.
d) Corporate taxes should be massively increased in order to fund public services.
4 Workers’ rights. The riches we see in the world today have been created by working people. Even though we work incredibly hard and possess a deep understanding of how to do things better we are paid only a fraction of what we are worth and our creative input is not valued.
a) We demand that the minimum wage be significantly increased so that all workers experience a standard of living well above the poverty line.
b) Every worker should have right to join a union and take strike action to improve their wages and conditions.
c) Every worker should have the ability to engage in solidarity action to support other workers without fear of prosecution. Employers have at their disposal the immense powers of the police and the courts to help them protect their interests. We have solidarity to defend ours.
5 Women. There is still a long way to go to achieve women’s liberation. Every victory has been hard fought for and these gains need to be defended each day. The neo liberal assault on employment and services disproportionately affects women. Accompanying women’s precarious position in the economy are the deeply shocking levels of domestic violence experienced by women.
a) Access to legal and free abortion on demand.
b) Women must receive shelter and support when they leave a violent and abusive partner and not face homelessness.
c) Women should receive equal pay.
d) Women must be supported to participate and play leading roles in civil society. Men will do the ironing.
6 Welfare. The true measure of a compassionate society is the quality of support it offers those citizens who struggle to obtain a decent standard of living.
a) People with disabilities should be generously supported by the government and presented with opportunities to engage in meaningful work for which they would receive a just wage. They should not be subjected to humiliating “reviews” of their disability.
b) Economic turmoil frequently locks millions out of work. When people experience unemployment they should be adequately supported by the government.
7 Climate justice. We are rapidly approaching dangerous tipping points which may very well result in the release of vast quantities of devastating emissions from the arctic tundra and the ocean floor. To prevent global catastrophe a number of measures need to be implemented.
a) Governments should back and invest in renewable energy. This would create millions of green jobs.
b) Public transport systems should be extended and made free to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home.
c) Government should stop subsidizing carbon polluters. Big polluters and carbon extractors should be made responsible for all damage, waste, and other by-products and effects of their extraction, consumption and production.
8 No borders. One of the truly remarkable things about a globalised world is the existence of culturally diverse communities. People flee economic turmoil and war to start a new life in vibrant multi-ethnic communities. Political leaders divert attention away from the hardship many experience and the profound challenges facing our planet by directing anger towards refugees and migrants.
a) We defend the right of all people across the world to cross borders to seek a better life.
b) We demand that all people being held in detention, both on the Australian mainland and in the Pacific, be immediately released into communities here.
c) We condemn those politicians and media outlets who demonise some of the most desperate and vulnerable people in the world.
9 Housing. Every citizen should have affordable housing. Government policy encourages speculation in property inflating property values and driving up rent. This has created a housing crisis. In 1985 a home cost 3.2 times the average income whereas today it costs 6.5 times the average income. Workers are nearing retirement still owing money on a mortgage.
a) The government must significantly boost spending on social housing. Rent should not exceed 10% of a tenant’s income.
b) Quality emergency housing needs to be instantly available.
10 Democracy. Parliamentary democracy and the vote are the result of a significant historic compromise. Around the world citizens fought for genuine participation in politics. Their rulers felt threatened by these aspirations and so aimed to democracy. The result of this contest has often been parliamentary democracy.
a) It is vital to defend parliamentary democracy even though it is limited. For the majority it is the most important site of politics. Candidates who campaign around human rights and strong redistributive measures should be supported. If such candidates can be elected they can help use their position to help legitimatise democratic demands.
b) Genuine democracy goes beyond the parliamentary democracy framework. Genuine democracy involves citizens participating in democratic decision making. Broad mass meetings can be convened to resolve political and economic issues. Delegates can be elected to represent that meeting at central meetings. Crucially local forums have the capacity to recall their delegates at any time.
c) Democracy is not real if economic matters are not subject to democratic processes. Decisions about how resources are allocated and what services and goods should be produced should be made by the workers involved in their production with the citizens whom the products affect.
Adrian Skerritt is a member of the Cloudland Collective, an organisation which “stands for broadbased campaigning in defence of jobs, services and civil liberties and opposes the neoliberalism of the LNP & G20.”
Adrian would like to hear your feedback on “Notes For A Just Society”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwxvE8Azrzg
10 comments
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babyjewels10 -
jagman48 -
lizzieconnor -
Loz -
corvus boreus -
gangey1959 -
Andreas Bimba -
Andreas Bimba -
Trish Corry -
corvus boreus
Return to home pagePersonally, I think it’s too late to reverse much of the damage. The FTAs with China, South Korea and Japan are a gift to those countries and ordinary Australians will pay. And we can’t get out of them. If the TPP is signed, we’re screwed. Our grand kids are set to be peasants in their own country. Abbott has very cleverly achieved massive detrimental changes in two years which have changed Australia forever. I would love someone to tell me I’m overly concerned.
Babyjewels10. I can only agree with you. For a long while I have believed Tony Abbott has changed Australia in a way we have never seen before. There is no going back now. We are screwed. We just have to think of England and enjoy it. Like hell.
Like Hell is right!
The Newman government was demolished by the people. It is only the people who can change things if there is enough of us to stand up and fight for a better Australia. I refuse to lie down and put my head in the sand while Abbott and those like him trample over me. When we have people like Adrian who voice their concerns loudly and clearly we are not lost.
Adrian,
I broadly agree with all your points for a just society.
I would add an 11th point.
Corruption.
We need a standing federal advisory body (National Integrity Commission) to provide guidance to representatives and oversight of political dealings, in terms of both legality and ethical appropriateness.
We also need a standing federal investigative body (ICAC) to defend against corruption through rigorous investigation and referrals for the prosecution of offenders.
I am thoroughly sick of public policy being bought and public money being rorted.
Although our national leaders have signed various FTAs already, are these agreements not bound by existing laws which protect workers from dismissal, or more recently, NOT being hired on account of our sex, nationality, religion etc? I wondered this last week when listening to ta crap on about the benefits to Australia from the just signed FTA in which was included a clause that allows any investment by a chinese ‘company’ valued at over $150 million to be entirely chinese built, operated serviced and staffed. $150 mil is nothing.
I don’t know what can be done about the theft of Australian minerals, crops and livestock by foreign owned entities, but surely a start to halting the whole mess would be to put a levy on the MONEY that is being sent offshore. A Foreign Account Deposit duty or tax. 50% sounds about right for a start. It might also put the bite onto other people who are ripping us off by shipping money overseas for tax reasons, and It would also make Australia less suited to the importation of drugs and guns. Hat-trick.
Its only my thoughts, but a financial lawyer mate of mine has always said that if you want to stop something, stop the flow of money first. The rest will follow.
The first step is to remove abbott and his cronies. We will move forward from there.
Any agreement such as the FTA’s and the TPP can be abrogated at will by future Australian governments. Other parties may respond with diplomatic pressure or trade sanctions but these are likely to dissipate fairly quickly given that ALL of our major trading partners play a dirty self serving game with trade.
It is a lie that Australia must have FTA’s to sell its mineral resources and agricultural products. We managed quite well selling these products in a competitive global market place when we had a moderately protected manufacturing industry. The mining industry just wanted the FTA’s so that we import more manufactured goods which drives our dollar lower than it otherwise would be thus making marginal mines profitable and profitable mines more profitable.
The main problem however is that the ALP is equally complicit in our 30 year old drive toward a neo-liberal, total free trade and deregulated economy. Hopefully the ALP will improve following their 24-26 July 2015 national conference and their left faction and grass roots membership will adopt a more balanced approach to trade, state economic participation, corporate power and workers rights but I’m not hopeful.
The Greens have adopted a more balanced economic and international trade policy and along with other ethical minor parties such as the Australian Progressives, the similarly named centralist Australian Progressive Party and rational right of centre parties, probably offer the best hope for a return to more competent government policy that is in the best interests of citizens rather than self serving corporations and vested interests.
Neo-liberalism was the economic path chosen by Reagan, Thatcher and Hawke/Keating and all succeeding governments but it was a con by the corporate elite to consolidate their power and to sieze an ever growing portion of national wealth at the expense of the majority. In Australia the main drivers were the mining and financial services industries. These industry sectors have been so successful at pursuing their narrow self interest and with exploiting the weaknesses of our system of government that they now effectively dictate government policy in all key areas. Our democracy has indeed been undermined and we are well down the path to plutocracy or corptocracy but the electorate still has the opportunity to retake control if it were to realise our current predicament and to only vote for ethical political parties and independents.
For nations with relatively high wages the FTA’s have led to the loss of millions of manufacturing and associated service industry jobs while creating very few permanent new jobs. Even though consumers have often benefited through lower prices, the economic and tax paying capacity of the nation has been retarded from where it otherwise would have been if a more balanced approach to trade had been followed. Most corporations have also been disadvantaged because of the relative reduction of the market size in most of the developed world.
The Modern Monetary Theory economists have proven that it is possible to have near to zero unemployment and underemployment if only the electorate would abandon the neo-liberal Liberal, National and Labor Parties.
Gangey1959 on the China FTA here is a video of what we can soon expect under the Abbott regime.
https://youtu.be/yHbE3w4GWCs
A good article with some great ideas for discussion. I am also a huge fan of Steven Hail and the modern monetary theory as Andreas mentioned. This information / stance needs to get out more. Left / Progressive leaders need to have the courage to convince people to change the way we view our economic climate. My passion is employment and welfare. I would like to add if I may, to expand to the types of supports from the Government and punitive policy and slave Labor such as work for the dole should never be allowed.
Trish Corry,
I hope you mean slave ‘labour’.
Labor (capital L with American spelling) makes it look like you mean the political party, and I would not like to think they were subject to bonds of servitude.