As an antidote to the newspapers today, I’ve been drawing up a government wishlist. These are not in any particular order. I would like a government that:
- recognizes that the generous and unwavering support of public education is the best investment it can make in the future of our society, and likewise recognizes the value of tertiary education and those that become experts in their fields
- recognizes that the privatization of public utilities and facilities is like selling the family silver
- doesn’t think and act as if the economy is the be-all and end-all
- supports reconciliation, empowerment and the health of our indigenous people wholeheartedly
- supports multiculturalism wholeheartedly
- supports gender equality and gay rights wholeheartedly
- supports universal medicare and dental care wholeheartedly
- provides welfare that doesn’t require jumping through too many hoops
- generously treats all immigrants and asylum seekers with the compassion, humanity and dignity we would like if we were in their shoes
- doesn’t lie, duck, weave, or evade ministerial responsibility
- actively discourages jingoism, xenophobia and racism
- actively discourages fear as a tactic
- recognizes the seriousness of global warming and begins immediate planning and financial backing for the implementation of renewable energies without being swayed by the coal/oil lobby
- appreciates the humanities, the arts and the sciences as integral to the spirit, wellbeing and richness of our society and generously supports them
- supports unionism, and recognizes the skill base of negotiation skills that resides there
- is a republic
- that lobbies for global commons, justice, human rights and civil liberties, and against preventative detention, torture and the death penalty
- that won’t engage in warmongering
- that doesn’t have the media in its pocket
That will do for now, though I’m sure there is more. If you feel the same and would like to use one of the stitch-in-time buttons, please do.
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