The world is in a difficult place right now, with an economic status quo that is failing large portions of the community, from younger generations unable to obtain home ownership to mortgage holders and renters struggling with higher interest rates or rental payments, seemingly the only way the current system can address the latest economic crisis. And then there is the ever pressing need to rapidly respond to the climate and extinction crises. Many of these issues are systemic and require difficult conversions but the world is also awash with populists, eager to provide simplistic solutions, claiming no downsides for anyone but in the end unable to provide effective solutions to any of these challenges.

Some of our policy priorities are-

1. A sustainable future: Australia stands at the forefront of experiencing the impacts of climate change, species loss, and environmental degradation. We must focus on building strong and resilient communities that minimise their impact on the planet, whether that is through accelerating the energy transformation, building efficient transport networks or finding solutions to excessive plastic waste.
2. Neither private markets nor government control of everything produces optimal results: The last half a century have shown the results of an ideological obsession with privatisation. From increased cost-of-living due to the profits of private monopolies to the abandonment of less profitable regions and markets. We need to understand where competition in a market benefits society and when government oversight or outright control is preferable.
3. Government intervention is required to solve the housing crisis: A profit-driven private market will never build enough houses needed to deliver affording housing. Governments need to drive the construction of housing for those who have no choice but to rent. In the meantime, the provision of secure and stable long term rental agreements should be giving preference over treating housing as an investment.
4. Progressive Globalisation: Acknowledging that neither isolationism nor the current form of globalisation brings sustainable economic growth. We must build a global economy that allows efficient and innovative companies to succeed regardless of where they located but that isn’t based on the exploitation of workers in developing countries at the expense of those in developed ones.