Who speaks and protects for the public interest in Australia? Who speaks for and protects the public interest in Australia? Essays by notable Australians Editors Bob Douglas and Jo Wodak Who speaks for and protects Essays by notable by Essays Australians the public interest in Australia? Essays by notable Australians Editors Bob Douglas and Jo Wodak Editors Bob Douglas and Jo Wodak Image: 5 of the 43 randomly chosen citizen jurors who deliberated for 6 days on 2014 Melbourne City Council $5 billion Budget plans Who speaks for and protects the public interest in Australia? Essays by notable Australians Editors: Bob Douglas and Jo Wodak Published: February 2015 Australia21 Limited ABN 25 096 242 010 ACN 096 242 010 E: [email protected] W: www.australia21.org.au ISBN 978-09873991-9-9 The views expressed by the essayists are their own and do not necessarily represent those of Australia21. Design: by Paper Monkey Cover image: Angela Wylie/Fairfax Syndication Who speaks for and protects the public interest in Australia? Contents Foreword: Defining and defending Section 4: Indigenous futures Section 9: Fresh insights and the public interest in Australia in the public interest 35 mechanisms for protecting Bob Douglas and Jo Wodak 2 Reframing the terms of engagement the public interest 64 Section 1: Setting the scene 4 in Aboriginal affairs Patrick Dodson 36 A contribution from neuroscience and evolutionary biology How vested interests are subverting Achieving wellbeing for all through Lynne Reeder 65 the public interest John Menadue 5 reconciliation action Kerry Arabena 38 Leadership in the public interest Politics at the expense of Section 5: Refugees and Helen Sykes and David Yencken 67 the public interest John Hewson 7 asylum seekers and the public interest 40 Leading police in the public interest The problem is us Fred Chaney 9 Mick Palmer 69 What Australia’s refugee policy Neoliberalism, values and has to teach us about our (not so) The voice of the people — kitchen table the public interest Elenie Poulos 11 liberal democracy Joyce Chia 41 conversations Mark Spain 71 Arts and the public interest Lateral solutions to developing Defending the public interest Kim Williams 13 better global arrangements through community organising Section 2: Definition and for displaced people David Evans 43 Phoebe Howe 73 measurement of the public interest 15 Community organising aims Section 6: Mental health and the to win back civil society’s rightful place Reframing the notion of the right to die and the public interest 45 public interest Paul Barratt 16 Amanda Tattersall 75 Improving mental health to build Decisions by the people: Measuring the public interest a more resilient Australia Allan Fels 46 Richard Eckersley 18 Melbourne City Council’s experiment The challenging quest for Michael Green 77 Director’s duties and a right to die Marshall Perron 48 stakeholder protection Jason Maletic 20 What can we do when self-interest Section 7: Inequality, education undermines the public interest? What is involved in serving the and early childcare 50 Nicky Grigg and Steve Cork 80 public interest? Geoff Gallop 22 Inequality and the public interest What can be done to address the The meaning(s) of public David Morawetz 51 current imbalance between public interest in law Simon Rice 24 The importance of a strong state and private interests? Alex Wodak 82 Section 3: Climate and environment 26 school system Vaughan Evans 53 Engaging citizens in defining Managing climate change: It takes a nation to raise a child national progress: the ANDI project in whose interest? Graeme Pearman 27 Julia Davison 55 Mike Salvaris 84 Fossil fuel divestment as Building better relationships Section 8: Funding the a mechanism for defending across government, research and public interest 57 the public interest Charlie Wood 29 the community sectors Gemma Carey 86 The merits of an efficient Urban water stewardship Democracy flourishes when social purpose capital market in the public interest Mike Waller 31 the common good is front and Michael Traill AM 58 Managing land, water and biodiversity centre of government Mary Crooks 88 Funding the public interest in the public interest Peter Ampt 33 The case for a national Ross Buckley 60 public interest council Bob Douglas 90 Financing the federation Acknowledgements 92 Alan Morris 62 Australia21 93 Essays by notable Australians Foreword: Defining and defending the public interest in Australia Bob Douglas and Jo Wodak Emeritus Professor Bob Douglas AO is a retired public health academic, who was a Founding Director of Australia21 and its first Chair. Jo Wodak has degrees in English literature and history and philosophy of science. She has worked extensively in education including secondary, tertiary and adult education in prisons. Until her recent retirement she worked in the strategic policy and planning section of Corrective Services NSW. What is the public interest? How does it Australia is currently experiencing Australia21, a not for profit research differ from private interests? Who decides? a period of significant political change. company unaffiliated with any political What drives public policy? These are Both of the major political parties are party or interest group, brings together questions which many people are firmly preoccupied with economic leading thinkers from all sectors of the asking in a world that is increasingly growth and the health of the corporate Australian community to explore current dominated by a culture of materialism sector but both seem more interested evidence and develop new frameworks and self-interest both at corporate and in re-election than the courageous for understanding some of the challenges business levels and at the personal level articulation and implementation of to our future. In recent discussions the — except in those countries where just policies that will maximise public good. multidisciplinary Board of Australia21 has to survive is the overriding imperative. There has been decline in the stature identified public interest and its defence For the purposes of this discussion we of and respect for political parties and as an issue requiring a new national focus. have accepted the definition of the public for religious organisations in Australian interest as the ‘long-term welfare and society, and our culture has been altered wellbeing of the general population’. both by neoliberal economic orthodoxy and by globalisation. These trends have resulted in a substantial increase in the power and influence of multinational business corporations. 2 Who speaks for and protects the public interest in Australia? This volume of essays represents The second section of essays The 12 essays in the final section provide the starting point for this endeavour. focuses on broad questions of a range of fresh insights and proposals We invited contributions from definition and measurement, for protecting the public interest a broad cross-section of thinkers, acknowledging that both are complex largely through increased community researchers and policymakers, and multi-dimensional, and can be involvement. These include: community not with a particular outcome in mind context and purpose dependent. organising, kitchen table conversations, but as a starting point for a future Points emphasised in this section include developing alliances across non Roundtable discussion to consider the importance of sound management government groups, citizen juries, the question: ‘Who is defending the with respect to public utilities and public new efforts at dialogue, application of public interest in Australia and how can ‘goods’ such as defence, the environment the International Charter for Compassion it best be protected?’ The 39 essayists and justice, the importance of respect (for which our own Australian who accepted our invitation between political parties and with the parliament was a founding signatory!), come from diverse backgrounds. public, the importance of formulating and youth activism, new ways of looking Many have extensive experience with arguing policies on the basis of values and at the role of police as negotiators and government and policy development, evidence, and the importance of including street corner politicians, and the case including a number who are directors stakeholders in corporate responsibilities. for a new national Public Interest Council. and long-time associates of Australia21. Essays in the six sections that follow We think that each of the 39 essays The five essays in the opening section have been grouped under topic headings, warrants careful consideration by all set the scene for the 34 contributions which relate to particular fields where those who care about Australia’s future. that follow. John Menadue argues that the public interest applies. These are: The instability of recent political events lobbying power of vested interests is now climate change and the environment, makes it clear that the Australian distorting the operation of government at electorate is unhappy about the Indigenous futures and the all levels and must be urgently addressed. way our democracy is practised public interest, John Hewson sees a desperate need for and the way our political parties have leadership and change in the structures refugees and asylum seekers, been governing. This is hardly surprising of parliamentary decision-making and mental health and dying with dignity, given the profound changes in our social, proposes the establishment of fully funding the public interest, and economic and environmental systems independent policy bodies in key policy in recent times. However, it seems early childcare, education and inequality. areas such as tax and federation reform. clear that if we are to be resilient in Reverend Elenie Poulos says that by the face of changes ahead and if we redefining the nature of human wellbeing hope to leave our descendants a life and the progress of humanity as that in which their welfare and wellbeing which is measured in terms of limitless are protected, we need to have a new economic growth, ever increasing wealth national dialogue about the public and material prosperity, the values of interest.