tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/government-723/articles
Government – The Conversation
2024-03-07T19:24:18Z
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/224370
2024-03-07T19:24:18Z
2024-03-07T19:24:18Z
Political power in Australia is still overwhelmingly male. But beneath the despair, there’s reason for hope
<p>It’s 2024, but power still looks like a man. Despite Australia’s claim to egalitarianism, achieving equal political participation and representation remains a formidable challenge for women. Concerningly, the persistent and ingrained obstacles in women’s way are affecting the aspirations of the next generation of female leaders. </p>
<p>According to 2022 <a href="https://plan-international.org/uploads/2022/10/SOTWGR-2022-EN-Final-SD.pdf">research</a> spanning 29 countries, including Australia, satisfaction among young females aged 15-24 with their leaders’ decisions on issues they care about stands at a mere 11%. An overwhelming 97% acknowledged the importance of political participation. Yet, only 24% of those aspiring to engage in politics could see themselves running for office. </p>
<p>Worse still, 20% have been personally discouraged from political involvement. This is often because they’re either considered to be <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/05_women_lawless_fox.pdf">less qualified</a> or that they will inevitably <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/01/27/the-female-political-career-women-members-of-parliament-still-face-obstacles-to-elected-office">face discrimination</a> and gendered violence. </p>
<p>I crunched the numbers to assess the situation in Australia. While much has been said about the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjBo7vTp9SEAxU3amwGHUFXBH8QFnoECAYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fiview.abc.net.au%2Fshow%2Fms-represented-with-annabel-crabb&usg=AOvVaw1oHrBbmWBZQhhBmxEIv6gA&opi=89978449">mistreatment</a> of female leaders, how does this play into the psyche of female constituents? </p>
<p>I found gender gaps have persisted in almost every political measure over the past 20 years. But there’s a glimmer of hope, mostly found online. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-secret-to-attracting-more-women-into-politics-give-them-more-resources-222159">What's the secret to attracting more women into politics? Give them more resources</a>
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<h2>Politics still unwelcoming and unrepresentative</h2>
<p>Using the <a href="https://australianelectionstudy.org/">Australian Election Study</a>, I examined the gender gaps in political attitudes and behaviours across generations between 2001 and 2022.</p>
<p>The pathway to power for women in politics has never been easy, and it doesn’t get easier once elected. The prevalent discrimination, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiVwpWMp9SEAxW8UWcHHb4eCPAQtwJ6BAg4EAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dz8asUgiCjw0&usg=AOvVaw2_nNYywdfZNl9-qQxzlqys&opi=89978449">gender deafness</a>, sexism and overt abuse not only <a href="https://theconversation.com/expect-sexism-a-gender-politics-expert-reads-julia-gillards-women-and-leadership-142725">force women to abandon</a> their leadership aspirations, but also act as signals that discourage young women from corridors of power. </p>
<p>It is therefore not surprising younger generations of Australian women display a diminished interest in politics, more so than older generations.</p>
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<p>I found they’re less represented than men in traditional participatory practices, such as discussing politics or attending political meetings. They’re also less likely to contribute money to a party or campaign. Girls in various Western democracies reported <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249019872_Good_Girls_Go_to_the_Polling_Booth_Bad_Boys_Go_Everywhere_Gender_Differences_in_Anticipated_Political_Participation_Among_American_Fourteen-Year-Olds">similar</a> disinterest. </p>
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<p>Young Australian women are also less satisfied with democracy than men. They report lower trust in government than their male counterparts and are more likely to believe government is run for few big interests rather than for all. </p>
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<h2>Discouragement is everywhere</h2>
<p>Politics continues to be off-putting because sexism is normalised in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-australian-media-womens-voices-are-still-not-heard-172060">media</a>. </p>
<p>Numerous studies show young Australian women <a href="https://www.plan.org.au/publications/she-can-lead/">think</a> female leaders receive unfair treatment from the media. The gendered media coverage is often characterised by negative portrayals of “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167210371949">power-seeking</a>” ambitions, scrutiny of fashion choices, judgement based on reproductive decisions, and a <a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-a-big-problem-with-the-murdoch-media-no-one-is-talking-about-how-it-treats-women-leaders-149986">failure to recognise</a> the mistreatment of female leaders (gender blindness). It all serves as a stark reminder of entrenched sexism in our national mindset.</p>
<p>Moreover, there’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-missing-women-of-australian-politics-research-shows-the-toll-of-harassment-abuse-and-stalking-168567">scepticism</a> in the personal circles of women aspiring to political roles. Friends and family can express concerns about their loved one’s safety working in parliament or for a political party. This undermines the progress of women in political leadership. </p>
<p>Women also hesitate to <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-missing-women-of-australian-politics-research-shows-the-toll-of-harassment-abuse-and-stalking-168567">encourage</a> others to pursue political careers due to the potential for facing abuse.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/online-abuse-could-drive-women-out-of-political-life-the-time-to-act-is-now-214301">Online abuse could drive women out of political life – the time to act is now</a>
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<p>If the political landscape discourages the pool of potential female leaders, it’s understandable gender quotas have had <a href="https://hir.harvard.edu/equal-representation-the-debate-over-gender-quotas-part-1/">mixed success</a>. Labor’s quotas have not been a panacea for attracting young women to politics. </p>
<p>The reality is women <a href="https://theconversation.com/women-politicians-pay-too-high-a-personal-cost-for-their-leadership-201028">pay too high</a> a personal price in leadership positions. Competing work and family roles create high levels of stress and burn-out. This particularly <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-secret-to-attracting-more-women-into-politics-give-them-more-resources-222159">deters</a> young women from running for local government, for example – more so than older women and men of all ages. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580075/original/file-20240306-20-s0fb71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman uses her smartphone on public transport." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580075/original/file-20240306-20-s0fb71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580075/original/file-20240306-20-s0fb71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580075/original/file-20240306-20-s0fb71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580075/original/file-20240306-20-s0fb71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580075/original/file-20240306-20-s0fb71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580075/original/file-20240306-20-s0fb71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/580075/original/file-20240306-20-s0fb71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Young women are increasingly engaging in political discussion online.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-using-smartphone-subway-1060222451">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Bottom-up quest for parity</h2>
<p>Despite these challenges, the 2022 federal election emerged as a pivotal moment in Australian politics, highlighting a <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-explained-the-seismic-2022-federal-election-the-australian-election-study-has-answers-195286">significant shift</a> in the engagement of women and young people. These two social bases turned away from major parties, signalling a growing disenchantment with the established political order. </p>
<p>Young women are actively challenging traditional power structures, leveraging their access to higher education and social media to redefine the political narrative. They are not hesitant to explore political alternatives to the two major parties. </p>
<p>Young women have also been challenging the established political order through getting involved in politics online. They are participating in political discussions, sharing and blogging political information, accessing election information and creating and joining political groups on social media platforms.</p>
<p><iframe id="Dais0" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Dais0/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jacinda-arderns-resignation-shows-that-women-still-face-an-uphill-battle-in-politics-an-expert-on-female-leaders-answers-5-key-questions-198197">Jacinda Ardern's resignation shows that women still face an uphill battle in politics – an expert on female leaders answers 5 key questions</a>
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<p>This has ushered in younger generations of Australian women who are unwilling to accept abuse and harassment as the inevitable costs of political engagement. With increasing education levels and a <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-young-people-are-moving-to-the-left-though-young-women-are-more-progressive-than-men-reflecting-a-global-trend-222288">more progressive</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/28/australian-voters-are-increasingly-driven-by-issues-rather-than-party-loyalty-and-thats-bad-news-for-the-old-political-order">issue-based mindset</a>, young women are raising their demands and expectations.</p>
<p>This is heartening. We’re starting to see a generation of women who refuse to accept the limitations imposed on them. This development signals a promising shift towards a more inclusive and representative political landscape.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224370/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Intifar Chowdhury does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Data show young Australian women are less politically engaged than men. Given the negative experiences of female politicians, that’s hardly surprising. But there’s a glimmer of hope.
Intifar Chowdhury, Lecturer in Government, Flinders University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/223399
2024-02-26T13:09:06Z
2024-02-26T13:09:06Z
Relationship anarchy is about creating bonds that suit people, not social conventions
<p>By its very nature, friendship is <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/anarchy">anarchic</a>: it has few rules and is not regulated by the government. Our friendships are usually egalitarian, flexible and non-exclusive. We treat our friends as individuals and care about their interests. We support them and don’t tell them what to do; our friendships fit around, rather than govern, our lives. </p>
<p>But interestingly, friendship is the exception when it comes to <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/10/people-who-prioritize-friendship-over-romance/616779/">intimacy</a>. Few of us want anarchic love lives, or to treat our children as equals. We gravitate instead towards more rigid, hierarchical, structured forms of intimacy in these relationships. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/i-have-4-partners-and-several-comet-romances-this-is-what-its-like-to-be-a-relationship-anarchist_uk_64ba8dcfe4b093f07cb48251">Relationship anarchists</a> do not hold with these ideas. They argue we must try harder to relate as equals, reject hierarchy between relationships and accept that intimate life can take many forms. </p>
<p>Critics would suggest relationship anarchy is just a lifestyle – an attempt to evade commitment. But the concept is best understood as political, and a development of the core themes of anarchist thinking. This reflects the values and practices involved, and reminds us that the flourishing of intimacy might require radical change. </p>
<p>These core themes include rejecting the idea that there should be one dominant form of authority – like a president, boss or patriarch; wariness of social class or status which arbitrarily privileges some people other others; and a deep respect for the idea that individuals should be able to govern their own lives and support each other. Applied to intimate relationships, these themes define relationship anarchy. </p>
<p>But political anarchism is not above violence and disorder. As someone whose work explores the philosophy of love, sex and relationships – and different approaches to intimacy – I view it as an attitude towards our social predicament where people try to relate as equals and reject unnecessary constraints. </p>
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<h2>Equals without constraints</h2>
<p>Relationship anarchists critique society and imagine alternatives. Their main target is the idea that there are different kinds of relationships and some are more important than others.</p>
<p>They reject how relationships appear in the media; good relationships needn’t last forever, be exclusive, between two people, domestic, involve romantic love or practical entanglement. This critical eye also extends to our attitudes towards children, animals and the environment. </p>
<p>Relationship anarchy’s aversion to hierarchy separates it from <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/relationships/a46109633/what-is-a-swinger/">swinging</a> or forms of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/japp.12240">polyamory</a> which distinguish between sex and romance, <a href="https://www.morethantwo.com/polyconfigurations.html">“primary” and “secondary” partners</a>, or which think the government should privilege some relationships through marriage law. </p>
<p>The practical heart of relationship anarchy is the idea that we design relationships to suit us, not mirror social expectations. Do we want to share a home? Is sexual intimacy important? If so, what kind exactly? This process also involves creating a framework to guide our broader intimate life. How will we choose together? How and when can we revise our framework? What about disagreements?</p>
<p>Relationship anarchists will disagree about the content of these frameworks. Can two relationship anarchists agree to be romantically exclusive, for example, set rules for each other, or decide to never revise their framework? Should they retain, repurpose or reject common labels such as “partner”?</p>
<p>My own view is that agreements are acceptable if they support our <a href="https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=romantic-agency-loving-well-in-modern-life--9781509551521">ability to be intimate</a>, but we should embrace “minimal non-monogamy” and remain open to the possibility our desires will change. </p>
<h2>Community and self-development</h2>
<p>Community is central to relationship anarchy. From queer feminist Andie Nordgren’s “<a href="https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/andie-nordgren-the-short-instructional-manifesto-for-relationship-anarchy">short instructional manifesto</a>” – which jumpstarted relationship anarchy – to <a href="https://ia803109.us.archive.org/14/items/rad2019zine/RAD%202019%20Zine%20for%20online%20reading.pdf">zines</a> like Communities Not Couples, the <a href="https://violetbeau00.medium.com/relationship-anarchy-smorgasbord-practical-applications-78ad8d911b0b">relationship “smorgasbord”</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/decolonizing.love/?hl=en">social media influencers</a>, relationship anarchists educate each other and share resources. </p>
<p>They also embrace <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/2722-mutual-aid">supporting each other</a> when social institutions are inadequate. This might involve providing money, establishing accessible community spaces, sourcing contraception and caregiving.</p>
<p>Relationship anarchy requires self-development. Since we are shaped by our social context, we often lack the skills needed to overhaul our relationships, whether that’s communicating effectively or managing emotions such as jealousy and insecurity.</p>
<p>Relationship anarchists embrace the idea that we cannot behave now in ways that would be <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Prefigurative+Politics:+Building+Tomorrow+Today-p-9781509535910">unacceptable in our ideal society</a>. We cannot be callous or dishonest in trying to bring about open and equal relationships. Instead, trying to embody our desired changes in our actions helps us develop the skills needed to ensure these changes are sustainable. </p>
<p>Talk of relationship anarchy often prompts objections. Liberals think government involvement in private life prevents harm, and that common social norms and ideals of relationships prevent anxiety. A relationship anarchist would ask us to consider the real source of these worries. </p>
<p>We are well able to harm each other within existing government frameworks: police, immigration, social and health services often harm people in unconventional relationships through policies that <a href="https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/21/orphaned-by-decree-italy-same-sex-parents-react-losing-rights">do not recognise the family life of non-heterosexual people</a>. Or which make it hard for immigrant families to be together, or deny visitation rights to unmarried people, for example.</p>
<p>Community networks of care are active in resisting and repairing these harms, and their efforts are evidence that we can successfully oversee our own needs when it comes to intimacy. </p>
<p>Similarly, a more active approach to our relationships, where we reflect on our needs and desires, set boundaries and communicate, <a href="https://scribepublications.co.uk/books-authors/books/polysecure-9781914484957">builds confidence and decreases anxiety</a>. A realistic and flexible attitude towards intimacy makes it harder to trip on the <a href="https://blog.oup.com/2019/09/why-love-ends/">gap between ideals and reality</a>.</p>
<p>Realism, not revolution, is at the heart of relationship anarchy. Social criticism can be radical – ranging from love and domesticity to childcare, companionship and co-operation – but efforts to remould our relationships should be done with care. We can both expose social contradictions and oppressive laws and accept common ground with other views and initiatives.</p>
<p>Most of all, we should be wary of attempts to cast relationship anarchy as a fad or lifestyle. It is political – a commitment to nurture agency when it comes to intimacy. Like conversation, relationship anarchy is a process; it can be messy, loud, and unpredictable, but it can change us entirely.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223399/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luke Brunning does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Relationship anarchists argue that we should relate to one another as equals and accept that intimacy can take many forms.
Luke Brunning, Lecturer in Applied Ethics, University of Leeds
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/222562
2024-02-07T12:03:07Z
2024-02-07T12:03:07Z
UK peatlands are being destroyed to grow mushrooms, lettuce and houseplants – here’s how to stop it
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573477/original/file-20240205-17-9w5rwe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Peat is a natural carbon sink but is often found in house plants and other retail products, particularly within the food and farming industry. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-transplanting-houseplant-into-new-pot-2321168311">New Africa/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>During the long, solitary days of lockdown, I found solace in raising houseplants. Suddenly stuck at home, I had more time to perfect the watering routine of a fussy Swiss cheese plant, and lovingly train our devil’s ivy to delicately frame the bookcases. </p>
<p>But I started noticing that these plants, sourced online, often arrived in the post with a passport. Most had travelled from all over Europe, with one common tagline: contains peat.</p>
<p>As a peatland scientist, these labels instantly filled me with horror. <a href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/ban-sale-peat">Hidden Peat</a>, a new campaign launched by The Wildlife Trusts, is now highlighting the presence of peat in all sorts of consumer products, including house plants. </p>
<p>Peatlands, such as bogs and fens, store more carbon than all of the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/peatlands-and-climate-change">world’s forests combined</a>. They trap this carbon in the ground for centuries, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases that would further warm the climate. </p>
<p>Peatlands have <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/bulletins/uknaturalcapitalforpeatlands/naturalcapitalaccounts">multiple environmental benefits</a>. They are havens for wildlife, providing habitat for wetland birds, insects and reptiles. They supply more than 70% of our drinking water and help protect our homes from flooding. </p>
<p>So why on earth is peat being ripped from these vital ecosystems and stuffed inside plant pots?</p>
<h2>From sink to source</h2>
<p>Despite their importance, peatlands have been systematically drained, farmed, dug up and sold over the last century. In the UK, only <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/649d6fe1bb13dc0012b2e349/lowland-agricultural-peat-task-force-chairs-report.pdf">1% of lowland peat</a> remains in its natural state. </p>
<p>Instead of acting as a carbon sink, it has become one of the <a href="https://oro.open.ac.uk/50635/">largest sources</a> of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK’s land use sector. When waterlogged peat soils are drained, microbes decompose the plant material within it and that results in the <a href="https://www.ceh.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Peatland%20factsheet.pdf">release of greenhouse gases</a> such as methane into the air. </p>
<p>Most of the peat excavated, bagged up and sold in the UK is used as a growing medium for plants. Gardeners have become increasingly aware of this problem. Peat-free alternatives have been gaining popularity and major retailers have been phasing out peat-based bagged compost in recent years. </p>
<p>Indeed, the UK government announced they would ban sales of all peat-based compost <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sale-of-horticultural-peat-to-be-banned-in-move-to-protect-englands-precious-peatlands">by 2024</a>. But this legislation has not yet been written and it seems unlikely it will be enacted before the end of the current parliament. </p>
<p>Even if brought in to law, this ban would only stop the sales of peat-based bagged compost of the type you might pick up in the garden centre. Legislation for commercial growers is not expected until 2030 at the earliest. So the continued decimation of the UK’s peatlands could remain hidden in supply chains long after we stop spreading peat on our gardens. </p>
<h2>Hide and seek peat</h2>
<p>For consumers, it’s almost impossible to <a href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/devastating-using-peat-uk-horticulture#:%7E:text=In%202020%20alone%2C%20nearly%20900%2C000%20cubic%20metres%20of%20peat%20were%20extracted%20from%20UK%20soils%2C%20with%20a%20further%201.4%20million%20cubic%20metres%20of%20peat%20imported%20from%20Ireland%20and%20the%20rest%20of%20Europe">identify products</a> that contain peat or use peat in their production. All large-scale commercial mushroom farming involves peat and it is used for growing most leafy salads. It gives that characteristic peaty aroma to whisky, and, as I found out, is a popular growing medium for potted plants. </p>
<p>But you’d struggle to find a peat-free lettuce in the supermarket. The Hidden Peat campaign asks consumers to call for clear labelling that would enable shoppers to more easily identify peat-containing products. Shoppers are also encouraged to demand transparency from retailers on their commitment to removing peat from their supply chains. </p>
<p>You can ask your local supermarket about how they plan to phase out peat from their produce. Some supermarkets are actively investing in new technologies for <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2326773-uk-mushroom-growing-uses-100000-m%25c2%25b3-of-peat-a-year-can-we-do-better/">peat-free mushroom farming</a>. </p>
<p>Make informed purchases by checking the labels on garden centre potted plants or source plants from peat-free nurseries. The Royal Horticultural Society lists more than 70 UK nurseries dedicated to <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/peat/peat-free-nurseries">peat-free growing</a>. </p>
<p>You can write to your MP to support a ban on peat extraction and, crucially, the sale of peat and peat-containing products in the UK. That ensures that peat wouldn’t just get imported from other European countries. </p>
<h2>Pilots and progress</h2>
<p>The UK government recently announced <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lowland-agricultural-peat-water-for-peat-pilots/lowland-agricultural-peat-water-for-peat-pilots">£3.1m funding</a> for pilot projects to rewet and preserve lowland peat, with peat restoration seen as a cornerstone of net zero ambitions. This campaign calls for further acceleration of peatland restoration across the UK. </p>
<p>As a research of the science behind <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fin-ring-hrubesh-peatland-restoration">peatland restoration</a>, I see firsthand the enormous effort involved in this: the installation of dams to block old agricultural drainage ditches, the delicate management of water levels and painstaking monitoring of the peat wetness.</p>
<p>I spend a lot of time taking samples, monitoring the progress, feeding results back to the land managers. Like many other conservationists, I work hard to find ways to preserve these critical habitats. </p>
<p>But sometimes, there may be a digger in the adjacent field doing more damage in a day than we could undo in a lifetime. That’s the reality, and the insanity, of the UK’s current peatland policies. </p>
<p>We heavily invest in restoring peatlands, yet fail to ban its extraction – the one action that would have the most dramatic impact. By demanding that peat is not only eradicated from garden compost, but weeded out of our supply chains, we can keep peat in the ground, not in pots.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 30,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222562/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Casey Bryce works with the Somerset Wildlife Trust to monitor peat restoration, funded by the University of Bristol department for alumni relations. </span></em></p>
Hidden Peat, a new campaign from The Wildlife Trusts, encourages people to look out for peat-free alternatives and support their wider use.
Casey Bryce, Senior Lecturer, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/219393
2023-12-07T09:35:00Z
2023-12-07T09:35:00Z
Grattan on Friday: winners and losers in end-of-year report card on Albanese ministers
<p>It’s not just kids who get report cards (PDFs these days) as school breaks up. So do government ministers, when parliament rises at year’s end. </p>
<p>Judgments about how members of the team have performed, often public but also private, are made by stakeholders, the media, colleagues and ultimately the prime minister.</p>
<p>As Christmas looms, the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Bill Shorten, and Workplace Relations Minister, Tony Burke will be reckoning they deserve As. </p>
<p>Shorten this week has not only released his review of the NDIS, but has seen national cabinet agree to a deal to curb the scheme’s cost explosion, shifting (with the way smoothed by generous Commonwealth funding) some of the responsibility for disability services onto the states. </p>
<p>Shorten can claim to be the original “father” of the NDIS in the days of the former Labor government; having to reshape it to make it sustainable is the classic poisoned chalice, but he was the best person in the government for the task. </p>
<p>We won’t know for several years how well the changes to the NDIS itself and the federal-state agreement for more service-sharing are actually working. It will be a long reform process, and much will depend on whether the states meet their obligations. But a direction has been set. </p>
<p>Burke this week will be receiving high marks from the unions. Right at the end of the parliamentary sitting he clinched a deal with Senate crossbenchers, notably David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie, to pass key parts of his industrial relations legislation, dealing with labour hire misuse and wage theft. This followed the crossbench earlier wanting the passage before Christmas of several non-controversial measures in the omnibus bill.</p>
<p>Parts of the legislation, covering protections for gig economy and casual workers, remain held up until next year, but Burke has secured more of it this year than seemed likely only a few days ago. </p>
<p>For some other ministers, their end-of-year assessments say “substantial improvement needed”. </p>
<p>Most recently, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles have struggled with the confronting test thrown at them by the High Court, forcing the release of people from immigration detention. </p>
<p>The government should have been prepared for all eventualities, even if it thought this particular outcome was unlikely. It should have had legislation ready to go. That it did not is as much (or more) the fault of the public servants as of the ministers, but it’s the ministers who have to carry the responsibility. </p>
<p>The sprawling Home Affairs Department appears dysfunctional, with long-term problems and low morale. One of O'Neil’s priorities in coming months has to be to demand it is put into more effective shape. After the sacking of former departmental head Mike Pezzullo for breaching the Public Service Code, O'Neil will be relying on the new secretary, Stephanie Foster (whose appointment was not without some controversy), to drive the bureaucratic changes. </p>
<p>O'Neil, whose vast empire ranges from cyber security to migration and border security, has plenty of potential but a style that usually defaults to the politics. It’s a better look when a minister rations their attacks on their opponents. This government in general and O'Neil in particular too often seem preoccupied with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. </p>
<p>O'Neil is about to have another late-year test, when the government releases its migration policy. She’ll be glad of a respite from the ex-detainees imbroglio, but migration is an inherently fraught area. The policy, many months in the making, will have to be well-pitched, with answers to whatever criticisms emerge. </p>
<p>Giles, meanwhile, is in charge of administering the preventative detention scheme the parliament approved on Wednesday – making applications to court for the re-detention of people who previously committed major crimes and are considered to pose high risks of doing so again. </p>
<p>That will apply to only a limited number of the former detainees. If others, who are still in the community, are arrested, Giles will have to deal with bouts of bad publicity. (So far, five have been arrested.) </p>
<p>For a couple of other ministers, it’s been a very difficult year. Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney found the referendum campaign a constant battle and the defeat shattering. Burney must put that behind her and turn her efforts to beefing up measures for closing the gap, an enormously hard task.</p>
<p>Infrastructure and Transport Minister Catherine King has been on the back foot on two fronts. Her handling of the bid by Qatar Airways for more flights saw her produce an increasing number of explanations for rejecting it but not any of them convincing. </p>
<p>More seriously, her announcement of the government’s cuts to parts of the infrastructure program (though not the total value of the program) has produced blowback from the states. There will be ongoing arguments about the details that will put further pressure on King. </p>
<p>In contrast, ministers such as Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have travelled well this year. Chalmers has pushed into other areas (especially energy) and is visibly broadening and grooming himself as heir apparent. </p>
<p>As Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles presents better in government than he did in opposition, although some experts question the adequacy and implementation of his defence policy and his excessive use of VIP planes has brought criticism. </p>
<p>Education Minister Jason Clare performs convincingly but his tests are still to come, especially as Australia grapples with how to improve school outcomes (this week’s PISA results reinforced how imperative this is). </p>
<p>The jury will be out for a long time on the performance of Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who is wrangling the early stages of the transition to a clean energy economy. The government has the targets and framework in place, but delivery is not straightforward and Bowen can be slow to admit when things are not on track.</p>
<p>Some commentators suggest a reshuffle is needed, but that would seem premature. However, more active prime ministerial and cabinet oversight is certainly required to sharpen the performance of the team. </p>
<p>What about the boss? Anthony Albanese is receiving poor marks just now. But things can change quickly. </p>
<p>This week parliamentarians mourned the death of Peta Murphy, a popular and effective Labor MP who lost a long battle with cancer. A byelection will be held early next year in her Victorian seat of Dunkley, which is on a margin of more than 6%. This real-time electoral test for both Albanese and Dutton could set the political mood in the days leading up to the government’s next budget.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219393/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Michelle Grattan reports on some Albanese ministers halfway through its term in government. Highlighting where some shine and others don’t.
Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/219215
2023-12-05T06:07:56Z
2023-12-05T06:07:56Z
View from The Hill: government’s announcement tsunami overshadowed by crisis over ex-detainees
<p>It’s always a rush at the end of the year to push out announcements, but the Albanese government, with an overloaded work program, is finding itself jammed as Christmas bears down. </p>
<p>Several major items are still to come: the revamp of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the new migration policy, the review of aged care funding, and the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (the update of budget figures). </p>
<p>The changes to the NDIS are out on Thursday, after they go formally to Wednesday’s National Cabinet. They have triggered a row between federal and state governments.</p>
<p>The federal government is determined to trim the unsustainable rate of growth in the NDIS’s costs in part by shifting more of the disability funding to the states. The states have both protested and demanded payoffs in the form of more hospital funding, and a continuation of GST top-up payments. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the premiers were due to discuss a deal over dinner at The Lodge on Tuesday night. </p>
<p>It’s a typical example of fractious federalism; we’ve yet to see where a deal lands. We can anticipate, however, that any change the government makes to put the NDIS on a more sustainable basis will bring angry reaction from the sector.</p>
<p>The much-anticipated migration review will be controversial, whatever its content. Given the housing and other shortages, the government has to find ways to curb the larger-than-expected inflow. </p>
<p>But the options are limited. Employers want more workers. The education sector will be up in arms if student numbers are substantially squeezed, and that’s hard to do anyway. </p>
<p>The review needs to be released before the budget update, due next week, because the update will contain a number for net immigration. </p>
<p>The government mightn’t be too worried about having the aged care task force report, which canvasses how to make the sector more financially sustainable, released as the news cycle winds down for the holidays. </p>
<p>The report will be about people paying more for care, which is never good news. Aged care, as both the Howard and Hawke governments found, can be treacherous ground electorally. </p>
<p>The task force’s last meeting is on December 15, with the report to be finalised the following week. While the plan is for the report to be out in that pre-Christmas week, it could be pushed into the new year.</p>
<p>Most immediately, the government’s attention is still consumed by the political imbroglio over handling the immigration detainees it has been forced to release.</p>
<p>The news of the arrest of one of these on two charges of indecent assault – a 65-year-old man previously convicted of violent sexual offences – has particularly inflamed the issue, playing into Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s hands. Two others have also been arrested: one for allegedly possessing drugs (believed to be cannabis), and a 33-year-old registered sex offender after allegedly breaching his reporting obligations multiple times.</p>
<p>The Coalition this week will pass the government’s latest tranche of legislation, which enables some of those released to be re-detained. But Dutton has plenty of ammunition to continue to exploit the issue.</p>
<p>The legislation provides two hurdles for someone to be re-detained – a decision made by a court on an application by the immigration minister. First, the person must have previously been convicted of a crime carrying a penalty of at least seven years (note: that doesn’t mean they must have served seven years).</p>
<p>Second, the court has to be satisfied “to a high degree of probability” that the person poses an “unacceptable risk of committing a serious violent or sexual offence”.</p>
<p>The legislation is based on the model applying to those who pose a terrorism threat. However, UNSW constitutional law expert George Williams points to the inherent differences between the two regimes, which could increase the danger of a successful High Court challenge.</p>
<p>The government has done as much as it can to help it survive a challenge, Williams says. But it had to go beyond the terrorism law in some respects, and therein lies the risk.</p>
<p>Unlike those potentially falling under the terrorism law, the detainees have already been released and are out in the community. Also, the terrorism legislation covers people who have been convicted in Australia – some of the ex-detainees were convicted overseas. </p>
<p>Williams says terrorism poses the highest-level threat to the community at large, which may be seen differently from the crimes committed by some of these people. </p>
<p>The terrorism offence applies to anyone convicted of that offence, but this legislation applies only to a particular group of people. Williams says that could make the High Court more concerned that it is a form of “punishment” rather than a matter of “community safety”, making it constitutionally problematic. </p>
<p>The opposition might want to further strengthen the bill. But Williams warns the tougher it is made – that is, the further it departs from the model of the terrorist legislation – the greater the risk of the High Court throwing it out. </p>
<p>Another issue is now being canvassed. Once the legislation is passed, what then? </p>
<p>How many people will Immigration Minister Andrew Giles seek to have detained? How hard will it be to collect the evidence to convince a court a person should be detained? And how long will that process take? </p>
<p>These questions are presently unanswerable, to the discomfort of embattled Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil and Giles. </p>
<p><strong>Update</strong>: the legislation passed the Senate on Tuesday night, without amendments. It now goes to the House of Representatives.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219215/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The government seeks to end the year with a series of new announcements, but the ongoing crisis with the high court decision overshadows the government’s work.
Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/216835
2023-11-12T19:14:24Z
2023-11-12T19:14:24Z
Who’s lobbying whom? When it comes to alcohol, tobacco, food and gambling firms, we’re in the dark
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558269/original/file-20231108-23-hhpw6i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C1000%2C658&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/business-people-shaking-hands-finishing-meeting-420967090">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Alcohol, tobacco, food and gambling industries are among those that lobby government ministers and their advisors to help shape public policy.</p>
<p>But when we looked for details of who’s lobbying whom in Australia, we found government lobbyist registers largely left us in the dark.</p>
<p>In our recently <a href="https://academic.oup.com/heapro/article/38/5/daad134/7326506">published research</a>, we found these registers were time-consuming to navigate and not detailed enough. The registers couldn’t give us a comprehensive picture of who’s lobbying whom, and how often. Most registers weren’t set up to do so.</p>
<p>We’re concerned about this lack of transparency and the potential for business interests to have undue influence over health policies. This has the potential to <a href="https://transparency.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/NIS_FULL_REPORT_Web.pdf">diminish trust in government</a>, a risk to democracy.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-just-tax-how-pwc-kpmg-and-other-consultants-risk-influencing-public-health-too-209687">It's not just tax. How PwC, KPMG and other consultants risk influencing public health too</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why are we concerned about lobbying?</h2>
<p>In Australia, anyone can lobby governments and has a right to represent their views. It’s an important part of the democratic process. Yet not everyone has fair access to decision makers. </p>
<p>Some <a href="https://theconversation.com/paying-the-piper-and-calling-the-tune-following-clubsnsws-political-donations-60639">individuals and businesses</a> have outsized and <a href="https://theconversation.com/influence-in-australian-politics-needs-an-urgent-overhaul-heres-how-to-do-it-103535">undue influence</a> on government decision making. Lobbying is one form of such influence.</p>
<p>For instance, in the past ten years or so, the <a href="https://movendi.ngo/news/2021/12/06/australia-alcohol-lobby-pushes-to-weaken-public-health-again/">alcohol industry</a> has lobbied to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/heapro/article/38/3/daac022/6573372">delay implementation</a> of pregnancy warning labels.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1683996791820398592"}"></div></p>
<p>The gambling industry, which has funnelled <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-14/how-the-gambling-industry-cashed-in-on-political-donations/100509026">millions of dollars</a> into both major political parties, has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/24/gambling-companies-accused-of-using-big-tobaccos-tactics-in-push-for-weaker-regulations">lobbied to weaken gambling regulations</a>.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-even-winning-is-losing-the-surprising-cost-of-defeating-philip-morris-over-plain-packaging-114279">tobacco industry</a> sued the Australian government for its plain packaging laws, <a href="https://tobaccotactics.org/article/alliance-of-australian-retailers/">after concerted lobbying</a> had failed to derail plans to introduce them. While the lawsuit was unsuccessful, this has <a href="https://theconversation.com/big-tobaccos-decisive-defeat-on-plain-packaging-laws-wont-stop-its-war-against-public-health-140439">deterred</a> other governments from implementing similar laws. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-businesses-want-the-ear-of-government-and-are-willing-to-pay-for-it-90688">Why businesses want the ear of government and are willing to pay for it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A deep dive into lobbyist registers</h2>
<p>Understanding who is seeing which government ministers or their advisors and what they are meeting about is the first step towards protecting against undue political influence and fostering political integrity.</p>
<p>So we decided to look at lobbyist registers to see what they tell us. These registers are like <a href="https://lobbyists.ag.gov.au/register">digital phone books</a>, with information about lobbyists. The aim of these registers is to guard against undue or unethical political influence. </p>
<p>Last year, we systematically extracted information from all lobbyist registers in Australia. All jurisdictions, except for the Northern Territory, have one. We: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>compared the disclosure requirements of Australian with international registers</p></li>
<li><p>mapped the population of lobby firms, lobbyists and clients that were active in each jurisdiction</p></li>
<li><p>identified which lobby firms represented tobacco, alcohol, gambling and ultra-processed food organisations.</p></li>
</ul>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1656525972781387776"}"></div></p>
<h2>Here’s what we found</h2>
<p>Compared to international lobbying registers, Australian registers provided little information. In the United States, for instance, companies must disclose <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying">how much money</a> they spend on lobbying.</p>
<p>Only four jurisdictions (federal, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Queensland) provided information about whether a lobbyist had previously worked in government. We need to know this to gauge whether there are any conflicts of interest.</p>
<p>Of the registers that provided this information, few provided enough detail to identify the specific position or the exact date a lobbyist left government. Of particular concern, 96 lobbyists said they both <em>had</em> and <em>had not</em> worked in government, raising questions about oversight of these registers.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/politicians-who-become-lobbyists-can-be-bad-for-australians-health-124078">Politicians who become lobbyists can be bad for Australians' health</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Which industry hired the most lobby firms?</h2>
<p>Of the four industries we explored, gambling organisations hired the most lobby firms, followed by food, alcohol and tobacco. </p>
<p>Tobacco companies hired lobby firms in six jurisdictions, potentially contravening Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which <a href="https://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-19-ftct/19-3-who-fctc-guiding-principles-and-general-obligations-">warns against</a> the tobacco industry lobbying governments.</p>
<p>Most registers are a directory of lobbyists rather than their activities. So, as most registers did not require disclosure of lobbying activities, it is unclear what service the firms provided for the tobacco industry.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-worked-out-how-many-tobacco-lobbyists-end-up-in-government-and-vice-versa-its-a-lot-205382">We worked out how many tobacco lobbyists end up in government, and vice versa. It's a lot</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s missing?</h2>
<p>Registers only provide information about “<a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/integrity/australian-government-register-lobbyists">third party</a>” lobbyists that work for professional lobby firms. This excludes many lobbyists working in Australia, such as those working directly for tobacco or alcohol companies or industry associations. In practice, this means a great deal of lobbying is hidden from the public.</p>
<p>Except for Queensland, registers did not provide a record of lobbyist meetings or contact with government officials. This information is important to understand who meets whom, and why. </p>
<p>The lobbyist registers hold no information about how much money is spent on, or received for, lobbying activities. </p>
<p>Lastly, we cannot see which individual lobbyists worked for which client. For firms that represent organisations with different interests, this raises questions about potential conflicts of interest.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1683365436094840832"}"></div></p>
<h2>Greater transparency and oversight needed</h2>
<p>In the past year, Australia has created the <a href="https://www.nacc.gov.au">National Anti-Corruption Commission</a> and <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Political_Influence_of_Donations/PoliticalDonations/Report_1">recommendations</a> about reforming political donations. Lobbying reform is the next logical step to ensure an integrated and coherent approach to political integrity. </p>
<p>The Australian government, like others, has a <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/integrity/publications/lobbying-code-conduct">lobbying code of conduct</a> with rules about ethical behaviour. It also stipulates that former members of government are not allowed to work as lobbyists for a “cooling off period” of 12 or 18 months (depending on where someone worked in government).</p>
<p>However, in the lobbying code, “lobbyist” is only understood as those working for third-party firms (such as the ones we analysed). It places no restrictions on ministers or government officials taking jobs with companies they used to regulate, or the consulting sector. Expanding the definition to include all forms of lobbying would help close this loophole. </p>
<p>We also need better enforcement of the rules around lobbying with sanctions and fines imposed to improve compliance.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-revolving-door-why-politicians-become-lobbyists-and-lobbyists-become-politicians-64237">The revolving door: why politicians become lobbyists, and lobbyists become politicians</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216835/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Lacy-Nichols receives funding from the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation. She is a member of the People's Health Movement, Healthy Food Systems Australia and the expert advisory group on commercial determinants of health for the World Health Organization. The findings of the research reported in this article, and the views expressed, are hers alone and not necessarily those of the above organisations.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katherine Cullerton receives funding from the NHMRC and the Children's Health Foundation. She is on the executive of the Food and Nutrition Special Interest Group for the Public Health Association of Australia. </span></em></p>
We found lobbying registers were hard to navigate and not detailed enough.
Jennifer Lacy-Nichols, Research fellow, The University of Melbourne
Katherine Cullerton, Research Fellow, Food and Nutrition Policy, The University of Queensland
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/212520
2023-09-05T12:32:02Z
2023-09-05T12:32:02Z
Congress needs to pass 12 funding bills in 11 days to avert a shutdown – here’s why that isn’t likely
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545962/original/file-20230901-25-par0qb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=70%2C70%2C3264%2C2409&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A shutdown last happened in 2018. Could it happen again?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sign-is-displayed-on-a-government-building-that-is-closed-news-photo/1074601288?adppopup=true">Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>U.S. senators and representatives returning from their summer vacations will need to shake off their suntans in quick time and get down to business.</p>
<p>Congress has just 11 days when it’s in session before the next <a href="https://www.federaltimes.com/management/budget/2022/09/20/why-the-us-federal-fiscal-year-2023-starts-in-october/">federal fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, 2023</a>. And in that time, it will need to enact all 12 <a href="https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/open-government/statement-of-disbursements/glossary-of-terms">appropriation bills</a> to ensure that government agencies and departments have funding to keep programs going – or face a potential government shutdown.</p>
<p>So will they pull it off? And what will happen if they don’t? As an <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymond-scheppach-19b98536/">expert of public policy</a> and former deputy director of the Congressional Budget Office, I feel that the challenge this year is the greatest faced since the enactment of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, which made significant reforms in the process. This is due to the magnitude of the differences not only between the two parties but also between the House and Senate. A worst-case scenario could see a government shutdown for several weeks, or even a couple of months – and that could have a significant negative impact on the economy.</p>
<h2>One down, many to go</h2>
<p>The House of Representatives initially faced a workload of 12 appropriation bills to get through Congress. But just before the House broke for August recess, it <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-approves-hr-4366-military-construction-veterans-affairs-and-related">passed one appropriation bill, for military construction</a>.</p>
<p>One down, 11 to go. The problem is the military construction bill is traditionally the easiest to pass, as it is very small – this year it stood at US$19.1 billion in spending. This is substantially less than the largest bill, which is usually the <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/bill-summary-labor-health-and-human-services-education-and-related-agencies-fiscal-year-2024-appropriations-bill">Labor, Health, Human Services and Education bill</a>. When reported, or passed, out of the committee in the Senate this year, that bill amounted to $224 billion. Providing money for military construction is also generally done without much controversy, as it includes funding for housing military families – something few members want to oppose.</p>
<p>And while the military construction funding bill passed before the recess, the House leadership had also hoped to pass the <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/subcommittees/agriculture-rural-development-food-and-drug-administration-118th-congress">Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug bill</a> but did not have the necessary votes for passage.</p>
<p>Complicating matters is that ongoing funding bills could be delayed or derailed by ideological battles in Washington.</p>
<p>The conservative Freedom Caucus in the House is <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/21/house-freedom-caucus-potential-shutdown-00112068">pushing for tens of billions of dollars in cuts</a> in the eight appropriation bills that fund domestic spending. The other four are military construction; defense; state and foreign operations; and the legislative branch itself.</p>
<p>Part of this desire for cuts comes from the frustration that conservatives feel over there being virtually no reductions in the <a href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2023/5/31/the-fiscal-responsibility-act-of-2023">Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023</a>, which lifted the debt ceiling and was negotiated by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden in late May.</p>
<h2>Ideological impasse</h2>
<p>Members of the Freedom Caucus are also expected to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4162189-freedom-caucus-policy-conditions-stopgap-government-funding-bill/">push for several riders</a> on the appropriation bills that would restrict abortion rights and eliminate funding for LGBTQ+ centers and diversity and inclusion programs. These will be vehemently opposed by Democrats and potentially create an impasse in negotiations. </p>
<p>Another complicating factor is that, recently, the administration <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-administration-seeks-billions-ukraine-aid-teeing-congressional/story?id=102175637">submitted to Congress a request</a> for a $45 billion supplemental appropriation that includes $24 billion for the war in Ukraine. </p>
<p>In the past, these measures would often be attached to either an individual appropriation bill or what is known as <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2014/09/19/what-s-continuing-resolution-and-why-does-it-matter">a continuing resolution</a>. A continuing resolution generally funds the government at the same level as in the preceding year for a short time, usually a number of days or weeks.</p>
<p>However, there are Republicans in the House who may object to moving such a bill. Congress would also have to declare an emergency to exempt it from the caps in the <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/59235">Fiscal Responsibility Act</a>.</p>
<p>Members in the House prefer to pass individual appropriation bills, since those are easier to amend. But with time running out, they may be forced to combine all of the outstanding bills into an omnibus bill – with the hopes that it could pass by Oct. 1.</p>
<p>While, constitutionally, appropriation bills must start in the House, they have to be reconciled with whatever version the Senate passes.</p>
<p>The good news here is the Senate Appropriations Committee has <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/icymi-murray-leads-senate-appropriations-in-passing-all-12-bills-out-of-committee-in-overwhelming-bipartisan-votes">reported all 12 bills out of committee</a> and thus is ready for the full Senate to consider when it returns. It has also agreed to raise the caps on national defense spending by $8 billion and domestic spending by $5.2 billion above the caps in the Fiscal Responsibility Act.</p>
<p>But differences in spending between what’s in the bills passed by the Senate committee and the much lower levels desired by many Republicans in the House, combined with the ideological arguments over the various riders expected to be adopted by the House, is setting the stage for a chaotic time in late September and early October.</p>
<h2>A history of shutdowns</h2>
<p>So what is likely to happen?</p>
<p>Given the limited number of days the House is in session in September, the speaker has floated the idea of a short-term continuing resolution. This approach has been endorsed by the White House to give time to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-congress-short-term-spending-bill-cr-government-shutdown/">negotiate a permanent solution</a>. But the Freedom Caucus has indicated it will oppose such a measure unless it can attach many of its ideological riders.</p>
<p>Which would leave Congress – and the country – facing a funding gap or potential government shutdown.</p>
<p>Since the 1974 Budget Act, there have been 22 such gaps or shutdowns due to the inability of Congress to enact all the appropriation bills. Three of these shutdowns have been significant. </p>
<p>The first lasted 21 days in 1995-1996 <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/01/12/683304824/the-longest-government-shutdown-in-history-no-longer-how-1995-changed-everything">during the Clinton administration</a>. It started as a standoff over the debt ceiling but then included disagreements on the appropriations bills. </p>
<p>There were some unique aspects to this standoff. The Republican Senate leader, Bob Dole, was running for president and was not really interested in lengthy negotiations. Meanwhile, House Speaker Newt Gingrich made some inappropriate comments about <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-politics/10347951/US-shutdown-1995-flashback-when-Newt-Gingrich-was-snubbed-on-Air-Force-One.html">being snubbed by the president</a> while traveling on Air Force One, and the press had a field day by linking the shutdown to the snub. Polling showed that the Republicans were being blamed for the shutdown - one indicated <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2011/03/poll-americans-split-on-who-to-blame-for-a-shutdown-050398">46% blamed Republicans</a>, while only 27% blamed Democrats. Republicans finally accepted the Clinton budget proposal.</p>
<p>The second major shutdown lasted 16 days in 2013 during the Obama administration and was triggered by a dispute regarding the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. It ended with an agreement between the Obama administration and Republicans on a continuing resolution to fund the government.</p>
<p>The most recent significant funding gap <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/us/politics/trump-shutdown-border-wall.html">occurred in December 2018</a> during the Trump administration, when the president stated he would not sign an appropriations bill that did not include his request for $5.7 billion to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. This shutdown lasted 35 days – the longest in history.</p>
<h2>A record shutdown?</h2>
<p>Shutdowns eventually end, but not without first causing damage. Politically, the Republicans received virtually nothing beneficial from the 1995 or 2018 shutdowns, and were in fact <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2011/03/poll-americans-split-on-who-to-blame-for-a-shutdown-050398">blamed for both</a>. Similarly, Republicans received little in 2013 but also seemed to receive less blame.</p>
<p>But there is more than political face-saving at play. The economic cost of the 2018 shutdown was <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/54937">estimated by the Congressional Budget Office</a> to be $3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2018 and $8 billion during the first quarter of 2019. Much of this was recovered during the next several quarters, but the impact on the individual families of furloughed government workers and businesses that were not able to receive loans or certificates to operate were far greater.</p>
<p>Perhaps more important than the impact on the economy are the huge inefficiencies that are created by the uncertainties regarding funding in government purchases, particularly in national defense and other capital purchases. Federal contractors cannot extend long-term contracts until the bills are passed. This forces them into numerous short-run extensions, which are substantially more expensive.</p>
<p>With so much at stake, expect a stormy and chaotic session with huge partisan differences – as well as discrepancies between the House and Senate – regarding spending levels and riders to appropriation bills. </p>
<p>Congress has just 11 working days to pass these bills, and that seems virtually impossible, especially in the current political climate.</p>
<p>So brace for numerous short-run continuing resolutions. But, ultimately, I expect at least a partial government shutdown. I even wouldn’t rule out a much longer shutdown of a couple of months that exceeds the record 35 days during the Trump administration.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212520/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Raymond Scheppach does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Lawmakers have given themselves a virtually impossible task – and the stakes are high.
Raymond Scheppach, Professor of Public Policy, University of Virginia
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/210586
2023-08-07T12:42:18Z
2023-08-07T12:42:18Z
Re-imagining democracy for the 21st century, possibly without the trappings of the 18th century
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540545/original/file-20230801-17-mlvhwo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C58%2C6490%2C3434&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If people were dropped into a new situation tomorrow, how would they choose to govern themselves?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/metaverse-virtual-reality-futuristic-web3-internet-royalty-free-image/1399085756">Just_Super/iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine that we’ve all – all of us, all of society – landed on some alien planet, and we have to form a government: clean slate. We don’t have any legacy systems from the U.S. or any other country. We don’t have any special or unique interests to perturb our thinking. </p>
<p>How would we govern ourselves?</p>
<p>It’s unlikely that we would use the systems we have today. The modern representative democracy was the best form of government that mid-18th-century technology could conceive of. The 21st century is a different place scientifically, technically and socially.</p>
<p>For example, the mid-18th-century democracies were designed under the assumption that both travel and communications were hard. Does it still make sense for all of us living in the same place to organize every few years and choose one of us to go to a big room far away and create laws in our name?</p>
<p>Representative districts are organized around geography, because that’s the only way that made sense 200-plus years ago. But we don’t have to do it that way. We can organize representation by age: one representative for the 31-year-olds, another for the 32-year-olds, and so on. We can organize representation randomly: by birthday, perhaps. We can organize any way we want.</p>
<p>U.S. citizens currently elect people for terms ranging from two to six years. Is 10 years better? Is 10 days better? Again, we have more technology and therefor more options.</p>
<p>Indeed, as a <a href="https://www.schneier.com/">technologist</a> who studies complex systems and their <a href="https://www.schneier.com/books/a-hackers-mind/">security</a>, I believe the very idea of representative government is a hack to get around the technological limitations of the past. Voting at scale is easier now than it was 200 year ago. Certainly we don’t want to all have to vote on every amendment to every bill, but what’s the optimal balance between votes made in our name and ballot measures that we all vote on?</p>
<h2>Rethinking the options</h2>
<p>In December 2022, I organized a <a href="https://www.schneier.com/iword/2022">workshop</a> to discuss these and other questions. I brought together <a href="https://www.schneier.com/iword/attendees/">50 people</a> from around the world: political scientists, economists, law professors, AI experts, activists, government officials, historians, science fiction writers and more. We spent <a href="https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2022/12/reimagining-democracy.html">two days talking</a> about these ideas. Several themes emerged from the event.</p>
<p>Misinformation and propaganda were themes, of course – and the inability to engage in rational policy discussions when people can’t agree on the facts. </p>
<p>Another theme was the harms of creating a political system whose primary goals are economic. Given the ability to start over, would anyone create a system of government that optimizes the near-term financial interest of the wealthiest few? Or whose laws benefit corporations at the expense of people?</p>
<p>Another theme was capitalism, and how it is or isn’t intertwined with democracy. And while the modern market economy made a lot of sense in the industrial age, it’s starting to fray in the information age. What comes after capitalism, and how does it affect how we govern ourselves?</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540555/original/file-20230801-37936-oma1fj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An overhead view shows a busy road between buildings." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540555/original/file-20230801-37936-oma1fj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540555/original/file-20230801-37936-oma1fj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540555/original/file-20230801-37936-oma1fj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540555/original/file-20230801-37936-oma1fj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540555/original/file-20230801-37936-oma1fj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540555/original/file-20230801-37936-oma1fj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540555/original/file-20230801-37936-oma1fj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Artificial intelligence may be good at smoothing traffic flow – but is it good at governing?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/view-from-above-of-road-in-chinatown-at-twilight-royalty-free-image/1336925675">Busà Photography, Moment via Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A role for artificial intelligence?</h2>
<p>Many participants examined the effects of technology, especially artificial intelligence. We looked at whether – and when – we might be comfortable ceding power to an AI. Sometimes it’s easy. I’m happy for an AI to figure out the optimal timing of traffic lights to ensure the smoothest flow of cars through the city. When will we be able to say the same thing about setting interest rates? Or designing tax policies? </p>
<p>How would we feel about an AI device in our pocket that voted in our name, thousands of times per day, based on preferences that it inferred from our actions? If an AI system could determine optimal policy solutions that balanced every voter’s preferences, would it still make sense to have representatives? Maybe we should vote directly for ideas and goals instead, and leave the details to the computers. On the other hand, technological solutionism <a href="https://www.publicbooks.org/the-folly-of-technological-solutionism-an-interview-with-evgeny-morozov/">regularly fails</a>.</p>
<h2>Choosing representatives</h2>
<p>Scale was another theme. The size of modern governments reflects the technology at the time of their founding. European countries and the early American states are a particular size because that’s what was governable in the 18th and 19th centuries. Larger governments – the U.S. as a whole, the European Union – reflect a world in which travel and communications are easier. The problems we have today are primarily either local, at the scale of cities and towns, or global – even if they are currently regulated at state, regional or national levels. This mismatch is especially acute when we try to tackle global problems. In the future, do we really have a need for political units the size of France or Virginia? Or is it a mixture of scales that we really need, one that moves effectively between the local and the global?</p>
<p>As to other forms of democracy, we discussed one from history and another made possible by today’s technology.</p>
<p><a href="https://harvardpolitics.com/sortition-in-america/">Sortition</a> is a system of choosing political officials randomly to deliberate on a particular issue. We use it today when we pick juries, but both the ancient Greeks and some cities in Renaissance Italy used it to select major political officials. Today, several countries – largely in Europe – are using sortition for some policy decisions. We might randomly choose a few hundred people, representative of the population, to spend a few weeks being briefed by experts and debating the problem – and then decide on environmental regulations, or a budget, or pretty much anything.</p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/organizer-sandbox/liquid-democracy-true-democracy-for-the-21st-century-7c66f5e53b6f">Liquid democracy</a> does away with elections altogether. Everyone has a vote, and they can keep the power to cast it themselves or assign it to another person as a proxy. There are no set elections; anyone can reassign their proxy at any time. And there’s no reason to make this assignment all or nothing. Perhaps proxies could specialize: one set of people focused on economic issues, another group on health and a third bunch on national defense. Then regular people could assign their votes to whichever of the proxies most closely matched their views on each individual matter – or step forward with their own views and begin collecting proxy support from other people.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540546/original/file-20230801-23-ljeulp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A stone marked with regular indentations." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540546/original/file-20230801-23-ljeulp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540546/original/file-20230801-23-ljeulp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540546/original/file-20230801-23-ljeulp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540546/original/file-20230801-23-ljeulp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540546/original/file-20230801-23-ljeulp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540546/original/file-20230801-23-ljeulp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540546/original/file-20230801-23-ljeulp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This item, called a kleroterion, was used to randomly select people for jury service in ancient Athens.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AGMA_Kleroterion.jpg">Marsyas via Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Who gets a voice?</h2>
<p>This all brings up another question: Who gets to participate? And, more generally, whose interests are taken into account? Early democracies were really nothing of the sort: They limited participation by gender, race and land ownership. </p>
<p>We should debate lowering the voting age, but even without voting we recognize that children too young to vote have rights – and, in some cases, so do other species. Should future generations get a “voice,” whatever that means? What about nonhumans or whole ecosystems?</p>
<p>Should everyone get the same voice? Right now in the U.S., the outsize effect of money in politics gives the wealthy disproportionate influence. Should we encode that explicitly? Maybe younger people should get a more powerful vote than everyone else. Or maybe older people should.</p>
<p>Those questions lead to ones about the limits of democracy. All democracies have boundaries limiting what the majority can decide. We all have rights: the things that cannot be taken away from us. We cannot vote to put someone in jail, for example. </p>
<p>But while we can’t vote a particular publication out of existence, we can to some degree regulate speech. In this hypothetical community, what are our rights as individuals? What are the rights of society that supersede those of individuals?</p>
<h2>Reducing the risk of failure</h2>
<p>Personally, I was most interested in how these systems fail. As a security technologist, I study how complex systems are subverted – <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393866667">hacked, in my parlance</a> – for the benefit of a few at the expense of the many. Think tax loopholes, or tricks to avoid government regulation. I want any government system to be resilient in the face of that kind of trickery.</p>
<p>Or, to put it another way, I want the interests of each individual to align with the interests of the group <a href="https://www.schneier.com/essays/archives/2023/05/rethinking-democracy-for-the-age-of-ai.html">at every level</a>. We’ve never had a system of government with that property before – even equal protection guarantees and First Amendment rights exist in a competitive framework that puts individuals’ interests in opposition to one another. But – in the age of such existential risks as climate and biotechnology and maybe AI – aligning interests is more important than ever.</p>
<p>Our workshop didn’t produce any answers; that wasn’t the point. Our current discourse is filled with suggestions on how to patch our political system. People regularly debate changes to the Electoral College, or the process of creating voting districts, or term limits. But those are incremental changes. </p>
<p>It’s hard to find people who are thinking more radically: looking beyond the horizon for what’s possible eventually. And while true innovation in politics is a lot harder than innovation in technology, especially without a violent revolution forcing change, it’s something that we as a species are going to have to get good at – one way or another.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210586/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bruce Schneier does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The modern representative democracy was the best form of government mid-18th-century technology could invent. The 21st century is a different place scientifically, technically and socially.
Bruce Schneier, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/206134
2023-06-28T15:26:10Z
2023-06-28T15:26:10Z
Why so many people have had enough of experts – and how to win back trust
<p>When senior British politician Michael Gove announced in 2016 that the public had <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/3be49734-29cb-11e6-83e4-abc22d5d108c">“had enough of experts”</a> in the lead up to the Brexit vote, it highlighted a growing trend for questioning the authority and power of experts. </p>
<p>Only last month, the home secretary, Suella Braverman, took to the stage at the National Conservatism conference to rail against <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/may/15/suella-braverman-rails-against-experts-and-elites-in-partisan-speech">“experts and elites”</a>. Such comments form part of <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/The+Crisis+of+Expertise-p-9780745665771">a broader pattern</a> where experts and their authority have faced significant challenges and threats from various economic, political, social and cultural sources. </p>
<p>An expert is conceptualised as someone with knowledge accrued in an accredited fashion, who then operates with a high degree of independence as a result of that knowledge and skill. Their power and influence has traditionally played an important role in society – but this authority is increasingly being questioned from many sides. </p>
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</figure>
<p>At the beginning of the pandemic, there was potential for a restoration of trust in expert authority. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-statement-on-coronavirus-16-march-2020">Politicians</a> and <a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020">international bodies</a> talked about the importance of using expertise as the most viable path to navigate the COVID crisis. The public also <a href="https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/UKRI-271020-COVID-19-Trust-Tracker.pdf">sought more communication</a> from scientific experts. </p>
<p>Even leaders such as <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/01/donald-trump-rejects-expertise/579808/">Donald Trump</a> and <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/09/24/brexit-latest-news-supreme-court-ruling-boris-johnson-prorogue/">Boris Johnson</a>, who had previously questioned the credibility of experts, appeared alongside medical professionals during press conferences to reassure the public.</p>
<p>But as the pandemic progressed, the authority of experts declined – with a few noteworthy exceptions such as <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/06/26/coronavirus-pandemic-global-response-devi-sridhar-review/">New Zealand, South Korea and Senegal</a>, which maintained their reliance on expertise to guide their decision-making processes. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110734911">My new book</a>, co-authored with <a href="https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/reedm">Michael Reed</a>, identifies three broad explanations for this decline which we call delegitimation, demystification and decomposition.</p>
<h2>Delegitimation</h2>
<p>One way the authority of experts diminishes is when societal institutions and structures that have traditionally supported them – such as governments, media and business – themselves face criticism, in particular from populist political movements.</p>
<p>Technology-driven advancements such as social media have accelerated this trend. Social media democratises communication and provides global platforms for those who want to question established societal structures and institutions. </p>
<p>This in turn can lead to these organisations turning on their expert advisors, in addition to populist groups using alternative platforms to directly express their scepticism of experts.</p>
<p>There were examples of this trend during the pandemic. Figures such as <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/06/politics/fauci-coronavirus-us-response/index.html">Trump</a> and then Brazilian president <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/23/brazils-jair-bolsonaro-says-coronavirus-crisis-is-a-media-trick">Jair Bolsonaro</a> openly challenged and dismissed experts. Trump’s position changed as COVID was not quickly “solved”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man with orange face and hair stands behind a podium with a microphone raising his index finger with a doubtful expression." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533198/original/file-20230621-18-c1l04e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/533198/original/file-20230621-18-c1l04e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533198/original/file-20230621-18-c1l04e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533198/original/file-20230621-18-c1l04e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533198/original/file-20230621-18-c1l04e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533198/original/file-20230621-18-c1l04e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/533198/original/file-20230621-18-c1l04e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Donald Trump initially stood alongside scientific experts during the pandemic before using Twitter to dismiss them.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/wilkesbarre-pa-august-2-2018-president-1148319797">Wilkes-Barre/PA/Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>The spread of online disinformation and misinformation amplified the decline of expert authority. This led to the emergence of “<a href="https://theconversation.com/britains-descent-into-culture-wars-has-been-rapid-but-it-neednt-be-terminal-182885">culture wars</a>” centred around virus control, including mask wearing.</p>
<h2>2. Demystification</h2>
<p>When people learn more about experts, in terms of who they are, what they do and who they serve, their power can again diminish. Individual experts are increasingly being watched and criticised as they become more closely associated with institutions such as government, corporations and banks. As a result, the lines are increasingly blurred between independent experts and organisational agendas.</p>
<p>The UK government used the country’s leading medical experts such as <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/people/christopher-whitty">Chris Whitty</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/people/patrick-vallance">Patrick Vallance</a> to support its political rhetoric during the pandemic. They stood beside the prime minister at press conferences, but were often scapegoated for government decisions that were more <a href="https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/failures-of-state-the-inside-story-of-britains-battle-with-coronavirus-jonathan-calvertgeorge-arbuthnott?variant=39528280391758">politically motivated</a> than based on medical expertise. </p>
<p>Giving evidence at the COVID inquiry, Whitty <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65989350">warned</a> that threats to independent experts could undermine responses to disasters in the future:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We should be very firm in saying that society very much appreciates the work of these people [experts and scientists], who put in considerable amounts of time … We, society, need to ensure scientists know their service is valued.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>3. Decomposition</h2>
<p>Finally, the authority of experts is also declining because there are now <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jpo/article-abstract/5/3/248/5151287">more occupations claiming expert status</a>, including management occupations such as human resource management, marketing and project management. While this can democratise expertise, it can also challenge the primacy of the traditional accredited sectors such as law, medicine and accountancy.</p>
<p>The pandemic has highlighted the fragmentation of expert occupations. Many different groups were involved in tackling the crisis, with multiple ideas being debated in public. This led to people questioning expert authority, as they saw different experts giving contrasting advice on issues such as mask use, herd immunity and vaccine efficacy.</p>
<h2>Rethinking how experts interact</h2>
<p>So, how can experts maintain their authority and power in a world where people are increasingly sceptical of them? We argue the authority and power of expertise can be maintained by rethinking how experts interact with governments and the public.</p>
<p>Traditionally, experts have had autonomy to control their work, but this has led to a lack of trust. In future, experts will need to be more transparent and accountable to the public. </p>
<p>Instead of the traditional, top-down view of expert authority, we can imagine a more reflexive, dynamic and contested form of expert power that is open to other standards. This would broaden decision-making processes to wider audiences, and involve a continual public dialogue between experts and non-experts. </p>
<p>At the same time, experts will need to work more closely with governments and other bodies to ensure their expertise is taken into account.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/politicians-love-to-appeal-to-common-sense-but-does-it-trump-expertise-206453">Politicians love to appeal to common sense – but does it trump expertise?</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>None of this will be easy. It requires experts to engage with a broader range of people, some of whom they may have had little previous concern with. It may involve persuading others of their expertise, rather than assuming it as a given. And the power dynamics between experts and other people may alter, meaning there is greater potential for experts to be co-opted to other agendas.</p>
<p>Ultimately, whether we have really “had enough of experts” is questionable. But how these experts secure their power, and convince others of their authority, requires a rethink.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206134/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cara Reed has previously received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. She is a member of the Labour Party.</span></em></p>
Our research highlights three key reasons for declining trust in experts, and how to regain their authority in future.
Cara Reed, Senior Lecturer in Organisation Studies at Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/205382
2023-05-11T03:51:52Z
2023-05-11T03:51:52Z
We worked out how many tobacco lobbyists end up in government, and vice versa. It’s a lot
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525266/original/file-20230510-45636-oxeu0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1000%2C561&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/unrecognizable-slender-caucasian-business-woman-manager-1408880285">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We’ve just revealed the extent of the close relationship between tobacco lobbyists and government, in the first Australian study of its kind.</p>
<p>Our study, <a href="https://doi.org/10.17061/phrp33122305">published today</a>, found about half of people involved in tobacco lobbying held positions in Australian governments before or after working for the tobacco industry.</p>
<p>This “<a href="https://exposetobacco.org/news/revolving-doors/">revolving door</a>” between tobacco lobbyists and government is a key political lobbying mechanism to influence public health policy.</p>
<p>So we urgently need to strengthen the rules and legislation around lobbying if we are to avoid industry influencing policies on issues such as tobacco control and vaping.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1656441490950742021"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-revolving-door-why-politicians-become-lobbyists-and-lobbyists-become-politicians-64237">The revolving door: why politicians become lobbyists, and lobbyists become politicians</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What we did and what we found</h2>
<p>We gathered information from sources including federal, state and territory government lobbyist registers, social networking platform LinkedIn, and Australian news media.</p>
<p>We identified 56 lobbyists representing tobacco companies (via lobbyist registers and archives) and another 73 current and former in-house tobacco lobbyists (via other means).</p>
<p>We found 48% of in-house tobacco company lobbyists and 55% of lobbyists acting on behalf of tobacco companies held positions in Australian state or federal governments before or after working for the tobacco industry.</p>
<p>Senior government roles included members of parliament, senators, chief or deputy chiefs of staff, and senior ministerial advisors.</p>
<p>Around half of the lobbyists had moved into or out of their government roles within a year of working for a tobacco company (56%) or as a lobbyist for one (48%).</p>
<p>We also documented how tobacco companies use third-party allies to indirectly lobby government – a form of lobbying that is poorly recorded on lobbyist registers and is not easily tracked. </p>
<p>For example, the Australian Retail Vaping Industry Association was created with funding <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/the-secret-money-trail-behind-vaping-20210217-p573bi">from global tobacco company</a> Philip Morris International and lobbied to weaken Australian vaping regulations.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/politicians-who-become-lobbyists-can-be-bad-for-australians-health-124078">Politicians who become lobbyists can be bad for Australians' health</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why is this a worry?</h2>
<p>We’ve long suspected there has been a “revolving door” between government and the tobacco industry – whereby tobacco companies recruit people who have previously held senior government roles to lobby for them.</p>
<p>It’s a tactic common <a href="https://www.phrp.com.au/issues/september-2019-volume-29-issue-3/the-revolving-door-between-government-and-the-alcohol-food-and-gambling-industries-in-australia/">in the gambling, alcohol and food industries</a>.</p>
<p>The aim is to learn about upcoming policies affecting their industries, and develop relationships with people of influence, with a view to shaping policy that favours their interests.</p>
<p>Our study, published today in the Sax Institute’s peer-reviewed journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.17061/phrp33122305">Public Health Research and Practice</a>, systematically catalogues for the first time how widespread this practice is.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-deal-with-fossil-fuel-lobbying-and-its-growing-influence-in-australian-politics-188515">How to deal with fossil fuel lobbying and its growing influence in Australian politics</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Out of sight</h2>
<p>The movement of key people between government and tobacco industry roles without adequate transparency provides potential opportunities to influence policymaking out of sight. </p>
<p>This can lead to delayed, weakened, or suppressed implementation of tobacco control and anti-vaping reforms. </p>
<p>In Australia, tobacco industry interference tactics largely hinge on the industry’s new product pipeline – e-cigarettes (vaping products). </p>
<p>Examples of industry lobbying efforts to legalise <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/ultimate-hypocrisy-who-is-really-behind-the-pro-vape-ad-campaign-20230328-p5cw25.html">the retail sale of nicotine vaping products</a> recently include lobbying the federal government <a href="https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/31/3/458">through submissions to legislative reviews</a>, participating in inquiry hearings, making political donations, meeting privately with parliamentarians, funding third parties to lobby on their behalf, and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2020-01-10/tobacco-industry-sought-vaping-meetings-with-pm-and-cabinet/11855264">sending unsolicited letters to ministers</a>.</p>
<p>There is no suggestion any individual or organisation acted illegally, contravened employment guidelines or principles, or otherwise acted improperly – including in the performance of lobbying duties. </p>
<p>However, the “revolving door” is important for tobacco companies as it provides opportunities to influence policymaking out of public sight.</p>
<p><a href="http://transparency.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Access-all-areas.pdf">Examples from overseas</a> suggest the prospect of a lucrative future career in the private sector can be enough to influence decisions that favour industry while still in office.</p>
<p>This can potentially <a href="https://law.adelaide.edu.au/ua/media/1773/Regulating%20the%20Influencers%20The%20Evolution%20of%20Lobbying%20Regulation%20in%20Australia.pdf">undermine</a> the quality and integrity of Australia’s democratic system.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/lobbying-regulations-are-vital-to-any-well-functioning-democracy-its-time-nz-got-some-203404">Lobbying regulations are vital to any well functioning democracy – it's time NZ got some</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What can we do about it?</h2>
<p><strong>1. Greater public disclosure</strong></p>
<p>There needs to be more extensive public disclosure of all tobacco company employees and lobbyists – acting directly or via third-party allies. This information should be added to existing government registers, and also include detailed updates of activities and meetings.</p>
<p><strong>2. Enforce ‘cooling off’ periods</strong></p>
<p>We need to extend and enforce “cooling off” periods – the minimum time required between switching from public to the private sector. These range from 12 to 18 months, depending on the role held in government. But our study showed these cooling off periods are not being enforced, and there are no serious sanctions.</p>
<p><strong>3. Update and enforce the law</strong></p>
<p>Transparency and integrity legislation must be updated and enforced. Adopting policies in line with international best practices, <a href="https://democracywatch.ca/reasons-why-a-long-cooling-off-period-4-years-or-more-prohibiting-lobbying-after-significant-political-activity-is-entirely-charter-compliant/">such as in Canada</a>, to safeguard against the influence of tobacco companies in Australian policy making.</p>
<p><strong>4. Recognise the ‘revolving door’</strong> </p>
<p>We need to recognise “revolving door” tactics as as part of the implementation of <a href="https://fctc.who.int/publications/m/item/guidelines-for-implementation-of-article-5.3">the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control</a>. The Australian government is a signator to this convention. It has committed to protecting public health from the vested interests of the tobacco industry <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/guidance-for-public-officials-on-interacting-with-the-tobacco-industry">by publishing guidance</a> for public officials on interacting with the tobacco industry. However, lobbying through the “revolving door” is not explicitly recognised or outlined in this guidance.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>We would like to acknowledge our co-authors on the study, Melissa Jones and Kylie Lindorff.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205382/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Becky Freeman is an Expert Advisor to the Cancer Council Tobacco Issues Committee and a member of the Cancer Institute Vaping Communications Advisory Panel. These are unpaid roles. She has received relevant competitive grants that include a focus on e-cigarettes/vaping from the NHMRC, MRFF, NSW Health, the Ian Potter Foundation, VicHealth, and Healthway WA; relevant research contracts from the Cancer Institute NSW and the Cancer Council NSW; relevant personal/consulting fees from the World Health Organization, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Department of Health, BMJ Tobacco Control, the Heart Foundation NSW, the US FDA, the NHMRC e-cigarette working committee, NSW Health, and Cancer Council NSW; and relevant travel expenses from the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference and the Australia Public Health Association preventive health conference.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christina Watts has received funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, NSW Ministry of Health, Cancer Council NSW, Cancer Institute NSW and the Minderoo Foundation.</span></em></p>
About half of people involved in tobacco lobbying held positions in Australian governments before or after working for the tobacco industry.
Becky Freeman, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney
Christina Watts, Research Fellow, The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/202877
2023-04-10T13:17:28Z
2023-04-10T13:17:28Z
How governments are using science fiction to predict potential threats
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518458/original/file-20230330-29-lx84q7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5638%2C3174&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/soldier-gun-standing-on-ruins-destroyed-2258761879">Tithi Luadthong/Shuttertsock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>From high-tech fighting machines to supercomputers and <a href="https://theconversation.com/killer-robots-already-exist-and-theyve-been-here-a-very-long-time-113941">killer robots</a>, science fiction has a lot to say about war. You might be surprised to learn that some governments (including the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/futuristic-visions-from-sci-fi-writers-offer-insights-for-defence">UK</a> and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/24/20708432/france-military-science-fiction-writers-red-team">France</a>) are now turning their attention to these fantastical stories as a way to think about possible futures and try and ward off any potential threats.</p>
<p>For many years now, science fiction writers have made prophesies about futuristic technologies that have later become a reality. In 1964, Arthur C. Clarke famously <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwELr8ir9qM&t=2s">predicted the internet</a>. And in 1983, Isaac Asimov predicted that <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-46736024">modern life would become impossible without computers</a>.</p>
<p>This has made governments take note. Not only can science fiction help us imagine a future shaped by new technologies, but it can also help us <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/futuristic-visions-from-sci-fi-writers-offer-insights-for-defence">learn lessons about potential threats</a>. </p>
<p>There are many issues that science fiction engages with, which will no doubt be feeding into defence research around warfare and ways to mitigate risk. While we can never predict the future completely, we can only hope that our leaders and decision-makers learn lessons alluded to in science fiction, so that we may avoid the dystopia that some science fiction suggests.</p>
<p>Here are four issues from science fiction that governments may be considering.</p>
<h2>1. Super soldiers</h2>
<p>Super soldiers are a major theme in science fiction and take many forms. Often they are “super” on account of their technology, such as in Robert A. Heinlein’s <a href="https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/starship-troopers.html">Starship Troopers</a> (1959) and Joe Haldeman’s Forever War (1974). However, more modern examples also explore how super soldiers can be further augmented with stronger muscles and even extra organs.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zPYuV_jGk7M?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>These super soldiers are stronger, faster and better able to wage war so there are, unsurprisingly, often many moral and ethical consequences to their role. The battle computer in Forever War has the power the blow up any soldiers that don’t follow orders. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, in the popular story-driven game Warhammer 40,000, monk-like warriors are implanted with a second heart, a third lung and a whole host of additional implants to help them survive on the field of battle. Known as <a href="https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/153750/">Space Marines</a>, they are changed to such an extent that they lose touch with the very things that made them human in the first place. </p>
<h2>2. Drones</h2>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/killer-robots-already-exist-and-theyve-been-here-a-very-long-time-113941">Drone operations</a> play an increasingly important role in modern warfare, with the US and its allies making use of Predator and Reaper drones to patrol the skies and kill terror suspects from afar. More recently, we have seen examples of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2022/11/20/the-ukrainian-navy-has-no-big-warships-its-winning-the-naval-war-anyway-with-drones/?sh=161594a34fc5">naval drones</a> being used in the war in Ukraine.</p>
<p>But, of course, science fiction has long predicted this type of warfare and if anything, it is simply a logical continuation of the computerisation of daily life.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vP0cUBi4hwE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p>In Orson Scott Card’s novel Ender’s Game (1985), the child protagonist Ender Wiggin is taken into Battle School where he takes part in a series of elaborate military exercises using computers to simulate a war against a distant alien foe. Only after destroying the alien home world does Ender then discover that he wasn’t playing a game at all, but rather commanding real-world forces fighting in outer space.</p>
<p>In a recent <a href="https://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/the-literature-of-drones-ethics-and-remote-killing-in-enders-game(168852a0-ced2-42dd-b3bc-0cb913422754).html">article</a>, I argue that Ender’s Game both pre-empts and engages with many of the key debates that we are having in this area today. This includes the way targets are selected and the moral and ethical questions around remote killing. As drones become more common in daily civilian life, these issues will only become more pressing.</p>
<h2>3. Bio-engineering</h2>
<p>Beyond drones and advanced computer technologies, we might also consider the biological sciences and the role of animals used to support humanitarian operations in war. </p>
<p>In Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Dogs of War (2017), the protagonist is a bio-engineered dog – quite literally, a dog-of-war (a mercenary) – who follows orders without question until one day discovering that his masters aren’t quite the “good guys” they first claim.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="Book cover featuring dogs." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518453/original/file-20230330-27-z4kcr5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518453/original/file-20230330-27-z4kcr5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=943&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518453/original/file-20230330-27-z4kcr5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=943&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518453/original/file-20230330-27-z4kcr5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=943&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518453/original/file-20230330-27-z4kcr5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1185&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518453/original/file-20230330-27-z4kcr5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1185&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518453/original/file-20230330-27-z4kcr5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1185&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Head of Zeus</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As with so many of the best works of science fiction, Dogs of War poses many ethical and moral questions about the human condition, including the way humans so often exploit others, and how animals then fit within our moral framework.</p>
<p>For example, the real-world case of the dog <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53949310">Kuno</a> who saved soldiers’ lives in Afghanistan and was awarded the dog equivalent of the Victoria Cross. If we are to send out animals into dangerous situations to support soldiers or <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-64791811">search for earthquake survivors</a> then perhaps the animals too need to be augmented to reduce risks and make them better at what they do?</p>
<h2>4. Behavioural modification</h2>
<p>Science fiction has a lot to say about drugs and the way chemicals can be used to distort reality and modify behaviour. Perhaps the most famous author in this area is Philip K. Dick, with novels such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Stigmata_of_Palmer_Eldritch">The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch</a> (1964), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubik">Ubik</a> (1969) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_My_Tears,_the_Policeman_Said">Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said</a> (1974) dealing with variations on this theme.</p>
<p>There was also the film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379786/">Serenity</a> (2005) (and its sorely missed TV series, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/">Firefly</a>), in which Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his crew travel to the planet Miranda to discover the dark consequences of drugs used to control populations and make people more compliant.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w8JNjmK5lfk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>While these examples may seem sinister, they are nothing compared with the experiments conducted by the real-life CIA.</p>
<p>Towards the end of the Vietnam war, revelations emerged that the CIA had been conducting illegal human experiments in order to develop drugs for brainwashing and torture. This operation, known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MKUltra">MK-ULTRA</a>, was made public at a senate hearing in 1977. </p>
<p>While we can only hope that such extreme and horrific experiments are a thing of the past, the concept of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/mar/13/uk-military-mod-universities-research-psychological-warfare-documents">behavioural modification</a> is still a big thing in defence research, though perhaps not to the same extent as it was in the middle of the last century. </p>
<p>Indeed, many would argue that social media is now a <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/10/social-media-battlefield-internet/571960/">global battlefield</a>, with information warfare a real threat to security, and the likes of Russia and China accused of <a href="https://theconversation.com/chinas-disinformation-threat-is-real-we-need-better-defences-against-state-based-cyber-campaigns-141044">waging cyber campaigns against the west</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202877/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mike Ryder does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Science fiction has always been good at predicting distant futures and now governments are turning to them to ward off possible threats.
Mike Ryder, Lecturer in Marketing, Lancaster University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/201007
2023-03-02T12:39:11Z
2023-03-02T12:39:11Z
Turnips: how Britain fell out of love with the much-maligned vegetable
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513121/original/file-20230302-29-oy3ewe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=96%2C60%2C1825%2C1078&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Hand-coloured etching of a king and his turnip (1819).</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/967190001">© The Trustees of the British Museum</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Environment secretary <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/feb/23/food-shortages-environment-secretary-urges-britons-cherish-turnips">Thérèse Coffey’s recent suggestion</a> that Britons should turn to turnips following tomato shortages <a href="https://eastangliabylines.co.uk/30-of-the-best-coffey-turnip-memes-on-twitter/">did not go down</a> as she might have hoped. </p>
<p>In trying to revive interest in local produce, Coffey could not have chosen a less glamorous root vegetable. But why do we now look down on the faithful turnip – was it always so unloved? </p>
<p>It’s not clear when turnips were first eaten in Britain, but they didn’t always have a bad reputation. The Old English word <em>neep</em> – a name now only seen in Scotland alongside tatties and haggis – goes back to at least the 10th century, but turnip (“turn-neep”) is only about 500 years old.</p>
<p>Historically, the word “turnip” didn’t only refer to the round purple root, but root vegetables of various shapes, colours and sizes. Sixteenth-century botanist John Gerard was particularly keen on “<a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A01622.0001.001/1:17.1?rgn=div2;view=fulltext">small turneps</a>”, which he said were much sweeter than the large kind and grown in a village called Hackney outside London. </p>
<p>Around the same time, <a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A89219.0001.001/1:27.34?rgn=div2;view=fulltext;q1=sodd">physician Thomas Moffett</a> was eager to write about the blood red turnips he had eaten in Prague, which were so “delicate” that the emperor himself grew them. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513123/original/file-20230302-21-fxid56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A drawing of a mostly white turnip and its leaves on a plain background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513123/original/file-20230302-21-fxid56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513123/original/file-20230302-21-fxid56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=930&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513123/original/file-20230302-21-fxid56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=930&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513123/original/file-20230302-21-fxid56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=930&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513123/original/file-20230302-21-fxid56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1168&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513123/original/file-20230302-21-fxid56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1168&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513123/original/file-20230302-21-fxid56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1168&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Coloured etching of a turnip by Magdalena Bouchard (1772).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://wellcomecollection.org/works/qnp24748">Courtesy of the Wellcome Collection</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Importing new kinds of fruit and vegetables from Europe was all the rage with the early modern rich, who loved to show off their connections and <a href="https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/food-in-early-modern-england-phases-fads-fashions-1500-1760/">turnips were no exception</a>. Writers of the time weren’t much interested in where their “ordinary” or “garden” turnips came from, but they were still happy to eat them. </p>
<p>Another botanist, <a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A09010.0001.001/1:12.8.41?rgn=div3;view=fulltext">John Parkinson</a>, wrote in 1629 that thanks to their sweetness, turnips were: “much esteemed, and often seen as a dish at good men’s tables”. In response to Coffey, chef Thomasina Miers’ suggested <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1629804151566901250">caramelising turnips in butter</a>. This is just the sort of sweet dish turnips were once appreciated for. </p>
<p>Early modern authors <a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A14328.0001.001/1:10?rgn=div1;view=fulltext">also praised their medical uses</a>. Turnips were considered nourishing, restorative and generally good for the body – even if they did sometimes cause wind.</p>
<h2>From human to animal fodder</h2>
<p>So what took the turnip off “good men’s tables”? Historians <a href="https://www.pennpress.org/9780812252330/digging-the-past/">Frances Dolan</a> and <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/621824">Mark Overton</a> point to animal feed and crop rotations. Turnips have been used to feed animals since antiquity, although Roman naturalist <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D18%3Achapter%3D34">Pliny the Elder</a> stressed that they were just as good for human consumption.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513124/original/file-20230302-21-78wx3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman standing, another sitting and a man lying down in a field of turnips" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513124/original/file-20230302-21-78wx3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513124/original/file-20230302-21-78wx3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=498&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513124/original/file-20230302-21-78wx3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=498&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513124/original/file-20230302-21-78wx3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=498&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513124/original/file-20230302-21-78wx3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=626&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513124/original/file-20230302-21-78wx3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=626&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513124/original/file-20230302-21-78wx3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=626&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Turnip hoeing graphite by Brian Hatton (1906).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/68780001">© The Trustees of the British Museum</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Even as Gerard praised his Hackney turnips, he also noted that “poore people in Wales” were forced to eat them raw in times of hardship. Up to this point, the root could be both the food of the rich and the poor. But from the end of the 17th century, growing winter turnips to feed livestock became more common and systematic crops rotations started to take off, which used turnips as one of the main nutrient providing plants.</p>
<p>Rotting turnips could feed animals and make great compost, but this didn’t exactly endear them to aristocrats. At the same time, new root vegetables were coming in from the Americas, with potatoes and <a href="https://theconversation.com/sweet-potatoes-donald-trump-and-the-special-relationship-69254">sweet potatoes</a> proving very popular. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513125/original/file-20230302-28-w8avj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A group of hares recovering after a fight, one of them taking another's pulse and another eating a turnip." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513125/original/file-20230302-28-w8avj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513125/original/file-20230302-28-w8avj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513125/original/file-20230302-28-w8avj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513125/original/file-20230302-28-w8avj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513125/original/file-20230302-28-w8avj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513125/original/file-20230302-28-w8avj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513125/original/file-20230302-28-w8avj1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Lithograph showing hares enjoying turnips after being hunted, by WBT (1859).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://wellcomecollection.org/works/d8exhb6b/images?id=hhah6d7s">Courtesy of the Wellcome Collection</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other now obscure but once favoured root vegetables – <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210325-the-strange-medieval-fruit-the-world-forgot">skirrets and eryngoes</a> – gradually fell out of British diets and parsnips and carrots were used less in sweet dishes partially thanks to the rapid increase in sugar production.</p>
<p>The global food chains that are at the heart of our current salad shortages mean that British consumers no longer need to eat (or individually produce) crops like turnips out of necessity.</p>
<p>It’s not surprising turnips couldn’t quite stand up to the huge changes in agriculture and food choice over the last three centuries. What their history does show, however, is that they have managed to survive despite it all, even if today’s consumers today aren’t really sure <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/26/therese-coffey-uk-tomato-salad-shortage-turnips/">what to do with them</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201007/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Serin Quinn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Thérèse Coffey’s recent suggestion that Brits eat turnips instead of tomatoes during food shortages was mocked – but the turnip hasn’t always been so unpopular, as a food historian explains.
Serin Quinn, PhD candidate, Department of History, University of Warwick
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/200818
2023-02-28T05:05:19Z
2023-02-28T05:05:19Z
Your questions answered on the Voice to Parliament
<p>We asked readers what they would like to know about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/voice-to-parliament-74405">Voice to Parliament</a>. In the lead-up to the referendum we’ll be asking our experts to answer your questions. Thanks to the more than 9,000 of you who took part in the survey. We’ll update this page as answers come in. </p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/the-voice-what-is-it-where-did-it-come-from-and-what-can-it-achieve-202138">What is the Voice, where did it come from, and what can it achieve?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-do-we-know-about-the-voice-to-parliament-design-and-what-do-we-still-need-to-know-195720">What do we know so far about the Voice design and how it will work?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/why-cant-we-just-establish-the-voice-to-parliament-through-legislation-a-constitutional-law-expert-explains-203652">Why can’t we just establish the Voice to Parliament through legislation?</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/why-a-first-nations-voice-should-come-before-treaty-192388"><strong>Why is the Voice coming before treaty?</strong></a></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-actually-is-a-treaty-what-could-it-mean-for-indigenous-people-200261">What actually is a treaty? What could it mean for Indigenous people?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/first-nations-people-have-made-a-plea-for-truth-telling-by-reckoning-with-its-past-australia-can-finally-help-improve-our-future-202137">What do the terms “truth” and “truth-telling” mean?</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-we-mean-when-we-say-sovereignty-was-never-ceded-195205"><strong>What does Indigenous sovereignty mean?</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-happens-if-the-government-goes-against-the-advice-of-the-voice-to-parliament-200517"><strong>What happens if the government goes against the advice of the Voice to Parliament?</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/a-voice-to-parliament-will-not-give-special-treatment-to-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-australians-heres-why-200650"><strong>Does the Voice give Indigenous people special treatment?</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/with-11-indigenous-politicians-in-parliament-why-does-australia-need-the-voice-200910"><strong>There are already several Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MPs in parliament, why isn’t that representation enough?</strong></a></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/10-questions-about-the-voice-to-parliament-answered-by-the-experts-207014">Do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people support the Voice?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/10-questions-about-the-voice-to-parliament-answered-by-the-experts-207014">Will the Voice insert race into the Constitution?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/10-questions-about-the-voice-to-parliament-answered-by-the-experts-207014">How will the Voice make a practical difference?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/no-the-voice-proposal-will-not-be-legally-risky-this-misunderstands-how-constitutions-work-212696">Will the Voice be ‘legally risky’?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/10-questions-about-the-voice-to-parliament-answered-by-the-experts-207014">How can the Voice represent the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander views?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/10-questions-about-the-voice-to-parliament-answered-by-the-experts-207014">Is the Voice in breach of international human rights standards?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/10-questions-about-the-voice-to-parliament-answered-by-the-experts-207014">Don’t Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people already have lots of ‘voices’ to government and parliament?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/10-questions-about-the-voice-to-parliament-answered-by-the-experts-207014">Will the Voice give rise to High Court litigation and clog up parliamentary work?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/10-questions-about-the-voice-to-parliament-answered-by-the-experts-207014">How does the Voice affect sovereignty?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/10-questions-about-the-voice-to-parliament-answered-by-the-experts-207014">Why do we need to put the Voice in the Constitution?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/10-questions-about-the-voice-to-parliament-answered-by-the-experts-207014">Do Australians have enough detail to vote at the referendum?</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/no-the-voice-to-parliament-would-not-force-people-to-give-up-their-private-land-212784"><strong>Will the Voice force people to give up their private land?</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-executive-government-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-the-voice-to-parliament-212785"><strong>What is executive government and what does it have to do with the Voice?</strong></a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200818/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
We asked readers what they would like to know about the Voice to Parliament. We’re asking our experts, and will post their responses here.
Carissa Lee, First Nations and Public Policy Editor, The Conversation
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/189710
2022-09-08T03:59:03Z
2022-09-08T03:59:03Z
Penny Wong’s diplomacy efforts in the Pacific begin to bear fruit with PNG security pact
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483147/original/file-20220907-15-q93l4k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C5%2C3942%2C2330&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, right, poses for a photo with Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Papua New Guinea (PNG) has <a href="https://pina.com.fj/2022/08/31/png-foreign-minister-reveals-plans-for-security-agreement-with-australia-and-potentially-nz/?doing_wp_cron=1661915735.9859659671783447265625">announced</a> it wants to establish a security agreement with Australia, welcome news for analysts wary of rising Chinese influence. </p>
<p>This decision reflects well on Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s tireless diplomacy with Pacific Island capitals. Since becoming Foreign Minister a little over three months ago, Wong has made four separate trips to the Pacific; to Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand and Solomon Islands, as well as engaging with Pacific leaders during July’s Pacific Islands Forum Summit.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/foreign-policy-and-the-albanese-governments-first-100-days-189460">Foreign policy and the Albanese government’s first 100 days</a>
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<p>And these efforts appear to be paying off. Not only has PNG expressed an interest in a security pact with Australia, but <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/sep/07/australia-hails-new-chapter-in-timor-leste-relationship-as-leaders-sign-defence-pact">Timor-Leste</a> has also just signed a defence cooperation agreement. </p>
<p>However, there is both much more and much less to the PNG security announcement than meets the eye.</p>
<p>The announcement by Justin Tkatchenko, PNG’s new foreign minister, was light on detail. Tkatchenko said the security treaty with Australia has been in the works since <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/31/papua-new-guinea-hopes-to-have-australia-security-deal-signed-by-end-of-year">2019</a> but has been spurred by the recent security agreement between Solomon Islands and China. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-should-the-next-australian-government-handle-the-pacific-178534">How should the next Australian government handle the Pacific?</a>
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<h2>Filling current security “loopholes”</h2>
<p>In 2019, Australia and Papua New Guinea signed up to a <a href="https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/papua-new-guinea/papua-new-guinea-australia-comprehensive-strategic-and-economic-partnership">Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership</a>, which included a commitment to “develop a bilateral security treaty to further promote our shared security interests”. Progress then stalled.</p>
<p>Tkatchenko noted the proposed new agreement will “fill in the loopholes” caused by the current security situation in the region and complement the regional security agreement the two countries already have in place. He mentioned that discussions were at early stages and could be expanded to include New Zealand and the US, due to the importance of regional security.</p>
<p>Tkatchenko also expressed hopes an agreement could be reached by the end of the year, but didn’t provide much context of how the new agreement would <a href="https://pina.com.fj/2022/08/31/png-foreign-minister-reveals-plans-for-security-agreement-with-australia-and-potentially-nz/?doing_wp_cron=1661915735.9859659671783447265625">complement</a> other regional security agreements. </p>
<p>Not surprisingly, Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles were cautious in response. Wong confirmed talks were at a “<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/papua-new-guinea-wants-security-treaty-with-australia-defence-minister-marles-2022-08-31/">very early stage</a>”, while Marles went to great lengths to note the initiative originated in Port Moresby rather than Canberra.</p>
<h2>Why now?</h2>
<p>The announcement was a signal of PNG’s strategic intent and its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/31/papua-new-guinea-hopes-to-have-australia-security-deal-signed-by-end-of-year">concern</a> over the security arrangement signed by Solomon Islands and China in April. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483148/original/file-20220907-24-tcx1vz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483148/original/file-20220907-24-tcx1vz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483148/original/file-20220907-24-tcx1vz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483148/original/file-20220907-24-tcx1vz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483148/original/file-20220907-24-tcx1vz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483148/original/file-20220907-24-tcx1vz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483148/original/file-20220907-24-tcx1vz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483148/original/file-20220907-24-tcx1vz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, right, locks arms with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Honiara, Solomon Islands. The PNG/Australia security pact was spurred by the security agreement between the Solomon Islands and China in April.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>PNG is now declaring its security interests are aligned with the US and Australia, a move sure to please Canberra. But this announcement places PNG is a peculiar position. </p>
<p>Like Australia, China is PNG’s number one trading partner, but Port Moresby has declared its hand by siding with Australia. </p>
<p>Australia has been punished with <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-07/australia-china-trade-tensions-official-economic-punishment/100273964">hefty trade sanctions</a> by Beijing for “accusing and smearing China” in the past. However, knowledge of these actions have not (yet) dissuaded PNG’s leaders from siding against China.</p>
<h2>History of cooperation</h2>
<p>There is a sound basis for a security agreement between Australia and PNG. The Australian Defence Force has been the PNG military’s primary partner since PNG established independence in 1975. Through a <a href="http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/1977/6.html">Status of Forces</a> agreement developed at the time, the two nations have effectively conducted numerous cooperative defence activities.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-papua-new-guinea-really-is-part-of-australias-family-wed-do-well-to-remember-our-shared-history-159528">If Papua New Guinea really is part of Australia's 'family', we'd do well to remember our shared history</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Security cooperation between the two countries was established through Australia’s <a href="https://png.embassy.gov.au/pmsb/defence.html">Defence Cooperation Program</a>. In fact, the structure and doctrine of PNG’s military was strongly influenced by Australia’s military, and commanders of the PNG military have been trained in Australian defence colleges. </p>
<p>In contrast, practical defence cooperation has been longstanding and significant. Practical defence cooperation involves training at all levels in PNG and in Australia. Forces from both nations have operated together in peacekeeping operations in Bougainville and Solomon Islands. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483368/original/file-20220907-9735-pqs4a0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483368/original/file-20220907-9735-pqs4a0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483368/original/file-20220907-9735-pqs4a0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483368/original/file-20220907-9735-pqs4a0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483368/original/file-20220907-9735-pqs4a0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483368/original/file-20220907-9735-pqs4a0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483368/original/file-20220907-9735-pqs4a0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483368/original/file-20220907-9735-pqs4a0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australian Major General Scott Winter inspects Papua New Guinea Defence Force troops during a welcome parade. The structure of PNG’s military has been strongly influenced by Australia’s.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Department of Defence</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Australia also regularly provides humanitarian assistance after natural disasters in PNG. In June, Australian forces and aircraft were also deployed to provide security and assist during PNG’s election. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/png-elections-show-there-is-still-a-long-way-to-go-to-stamp-out-violence-and-ensure-proper-representation-188715">PNG elections show there is still a long way to go to stamp out violence and ensure proper representation</a>
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<p>The most significant activity at the moment is the $170 million <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-15/major-naval-base-on-png-manus-island-lombrum-adf/100216040">redevelopment</a> of the Lombrum naval base on Manus Island (in cooperation with the US). Facilities are being upgraded to house patrol boats donated by Australia, but it’s important to note that Canberra’s offer only came after a Chinese attempt to rebuild Lombrum in 2018, pointing again to the importance of geopolitical considerations.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/morrisons-vanuatu-trip-shows-the-governments-continued-focus-on-militarising-the-pacific-109883">Morrison's Vanuatu trip shows the government's continued focus on militarising the Pacific</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A strong signal from Pacific nations</h2>
<p>High-level support in Port Moresby and Canberra is essential to the success of this new security agreement. Pressure on Port Moresby is likely to be intense, as will inducements to change direction. </p>
<p>The announcement of the security pact sends a strong signal that Pacific states are making choices about where they stand in the geo-political contest between the US and China. The Solomon Islands security treaty with China showed that the contest has well and truly arrived in Australia’s backyard. </p>
<p>The Albanese government promised to listen to Pacific interests, and under Wong’s leadership, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has responded effectively with compromises on climate change and providing additional development assistance. </p>
<p>And in a <a href="https://www.thechinastory.org/should-we-be-racing-towards-a-new-cold-war-in-the-south-pacific/">refreshing shift</a> in policy, Canberra has not rushed to frame any agreement between itself and a Pacific nation as part of a geo-strategic competition. Now PNG has spoken and no doubt more Pacific Island nations will follow suit.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189710/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael O'Keefe has received funding from the Australian Army Research Centre. </span></em></p>
The Foreign Minister’s focus on the Pacific is already beginning to pay off with new security treaties and increased military collaboration with neighbouring Pacific nations.
Michael O'Keefe, Director, Master of International Relations, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/189304
2022-09-07T01:37:07Z
2022-09-07T01:37:07Z
Eliminating cashless debit cards is great, but be careful about what comes next
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/486649/original/file-20220926-13-rvjymd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=195%2C95%2C1061%2C443&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption"></span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lukas Coch/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Albanese government will keep its election commitment to <a href="https://ministers.dss.gov.au/media-releases/8641#:%7E:text=The%20Social%20Security%20(Administration)%20Amendment,to%20transition%20off%20the%20card.">abolish</a> the cashless debit card. Cashless cards limited the financial autonomy of over 17,000 participants, a disproportionate number of whom are First Nations people.</p>
<p>The cashless debit card represents a payment partnership that has linked the welfare system with the banking and financial services sector. The aim of the card has been to police how welfare recipients spend social security benefits. </p>
<p>The card emerged from prior policies of compulsory income management and reduces access to discretionary cash by permitting spending only on certain items. </p>
<p>The new government is right to abolish the cashless debit card. The card is incompatible with the fundamental principle of informed choice in financial services. Even worse, this system imposes financial control that is inescapable, dehumanising and discriminatory. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-mounting-evidence-against-cashless-debit-cards-but-the-government-is-ploughing-on-regardless-123763">There's mounting evidence against cashless debit cards, but the government is ploughing on regardless</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>History of financial discrimination</h2>
<p>The Senate stolen wages <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/stolen_wages/index">inquiry</a> of 2006 noted a history of discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers and wage appropriation that spanned the 19th and 20th centuries. </p>
<p>Multiple submissions to that inquiry <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/stolen_wages/report/index">attributed</a> poverty experienced by First Nations people to this history of stolen wages and other monies, where governments sought to control the lives of Aboriginal people by making them wards of the state or otherwise placing them under the power of “<a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/FlagPost/2019/August/Compensation_payments_to_Indigenous_Australians">protectors</a>”, Aboriginal Protection Boards or similar government institutions. </p>
<p>These institutions nominally held the wages and other entitlements of Aboriginal workers in trust (as Aboriginal people were not considered capable of managing money). But the moneys were frequently not paid, used for other state purposes, or stolen by “protectors”.</p>
<p>The inquiry noted evidence that governments were <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/stolen_wages/report/index">negligent</a> in their administration of the misappropriated wages of First Nations people.</p>
<p>Despite this history, governments in recent years have implemented policies with clear links to wage control programs of the past. Compulsory income management and cashless debit card systems have been implemented with the <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/indigenous-income-and-finance">justification</a> that these systems reduce violence and harm associated with alcohol, gambling and drug use.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/has-labor-learnt-from-the-failure-of-the-cashless-debit-card-188065">Has Labor learnt from the failure of the cashless debit card?</a>
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<h2>The cashless debit card is introduced</h2>
<p>A trial of the cashless debit card commenced in 2016. By 2021, it had extended to multiple <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/families-and-children/programmes-services/welfare-conditionality/cashless-debit-card-overview">sites</a>, as identified by the Department of Social Services. This latest form of income management has been applied disproportionately to First Nations people and has gendered outcomes for women. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483104/original/file-20220906-26-nmr89g.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483104/original/file-20220906-26-nmr89g.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483104/original/file-20220906-26-nmr89g.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483104/original/file-20220906-26-nmr89g.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483104/original/file-20220906-26-nmr89g.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483104/original/file-20220906-26-nmr89g.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/483104/original/file-20220906-26-nmr89g.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The cashless debit card has not encouraged saving and instead has entrenched poverty.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/cfv_143_equality_rights_alliance_-_womens_voices_for_gender_equality_.pdf">Research</a> into the experiences of Aboriginal women subject to income management in the Northern Territory revealed that it was stigmatising. It also restricted women’s freedom of consumer choice and did not improve women’s capacity to care for their children.</p>
<p>The cashless debit card scheme echoes the overtly paternalistic motivations of earlier government efforts to control the incomes of Aboriginal people. </p>
<p>For example, the 1912 <a href="https://www.naa.gov.au/learn/learning-resources/learning-resource-themes/government-and-democracy/prime-ministers-and-politicians/maternity-allowance-act-1912#:%7E:text=The%20Maternity%20Allowance%20Act%201912,not%20eligible%20for%20this%20payment.">Maternity Allowance Act</a> declared “Aboriginal natives of Australia” were ineligible to receive benefits. Aboriginal women were often expressly <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/stolen_wages/report/c03">excluded</a> from receiving such payments when they were introduced, and later subject to the appropriation of those benefits by government or missions.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-government-trying-to-make-the-cashless-debit-card-permanent-research-shows-it-does-not-work-149444">Why is the government trying to make the cashless debit card permanent? Research shows it does not work</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<p>The use of a cashless debit card system - as with similar historical examples - is a compounding factor that intersects with other sources of disadvantage and vulnerability. First Nations women need financial autonomy to manage social impacts in their communities.</p>
<h2>UK use of a similar system for asylum seekers</h2>
<p>Restricted debit cards are used in other countries for vulnerable groups. For example, refused asylum seekers in the UK receive temporary support through <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308369562_The_Azure_payment_card_The_humanitarian_cost_of_a_cashless_system">restricted debit cards</a> that can be used to buy food and toiletries at specified <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stores-that-accept-azure-cards-for-asylum-section-4-support">stores</a>.</p>
<p>Asylum seekers living on this support <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308369562_The_Azure_payment_card_The_humanitarian_cost_of_a_cashless_system">reported</a> that the system curtailed their freedoms, privacy and ability to make financial decisions. The UK scheme, like those used in Australia, reinforced the exclusion of people living in poverty.</p>
<p>Financial decision making is critical to an individual’s ability to make informed choices. Cashless debit card systems undermine the fundamental principle of <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca2001172/s760a.html#:%7E:text=(d)%20the%20reduction%20of%20systemic,by%20clearing%20and%20settlement%20facilities.">informed choice</a>, and would clearly be unacceptable to demographic groups with greater social and political capital than those subject to them.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-been-stigmatising-unemployed-people-for-almost-100-years-covid-19-is-our-big-chance-to-change-this-143349">Australia has been stigmatising unemployed people for almost 100 years. COVID-19 is our big chance to change this</a>
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<h2>Abolish the system mindfully</h2>
<p>We welcome the government’s decision to abolish the cashless debit card. However, careful consultation is called for in the process. </p>
<p>Typically, debit cards are only issued with the prior consent of the consumer. The cashless debit card is an exception to this <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/asaica2001529/s12dl.html">requirement</a>, with cards issued to people without their <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-03/p2014-FSI-01Final-Report.pdf">consent</a>.</p>
<p>It is incumbent on governments to ensure the <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/IPeoples/FreePriorandInformedConsent.pdf">free, prior and informed consent</a> of First Nations people in welfare and financial services initiatives. Programs initiated without the informed consent of participants have seldom been looked on well throughout history. </p>
<p>It is known that financial institutions can collect huge volumes of data, and the cashless debit card system has not been subject to disclosure requirements. There is a risk that data collected from the cards could be shared without the card holders’ knowledge or permission. We would like the government to carefully consider what will be done with this data; where it will be housed, who will have access to it, how long will it be stored and what will happen to it afterwards. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-dont-want-anybody-to-see-me-using-it-cashless-welfare-cards-do-more-harm-than-good-132341">'I don't want anybody to see me using it': cashless welfare cards do more harm than good</a>
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<p>Another consideration for the government should be what support is offered to former card holders when the system is abolished. The cashless debit card has not encouraged saving and instead has debilitated people and entrenched <a href="https://www.equalityrightsalliance.org.au/publications/era-submission-for-the-63rd-session-of-the-commission-on-the-status-of-women/">poverty</a>.</p>
<p>Use of the card was not supported by financial literacy or wellbeing programs. In future, information and financial assistance could be implemented in consultation with First Nations communities and organisations.</p>
<p>The government should be mindful that the financial needs of First Nations people, particularly women, are complex. Restrictions on financial autonomy can have an amplified effect for some communities. This is especially true for communities routinely subject to income controls.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189304/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The Albanese government’s decision to eliminate the cashless debit card has been celebrated but the effect on First Nations communities has raised concerns.
Mirella Atherton, Lecturer in Law, University of Newcastle
Amy Maguire, Associate Professor in Human Rights and International Law, University of Newcastle
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/189454
2022-08-31T20:02:48Z
2022-08-31T20:02:48Z
Reactions to Marin and Albanese show how women’s alcohol consumption is treated differently from men’s
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481738/original/file-20220830-12804-crml2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C0%2C3544%2C2000&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Sanna Marin and Anthony Albanese </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Gendered expectations around alcohol are far from equal. Safety suggestions around alcohol and even the way that alcohol is marketed are very much dependent on gendered use and expectations. </p>
<p>Even the perception of the “appropriateness” of drinking is often viewed though a gendered lens. This has been demonstrated recently by reactions to social drinking by two prime ministers: Sanna Marin from Finland and Australia’s Anthony Albanese. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/womens-alcohol-consumption-catching-up-to-men-why-this-matters-67454">Women's alcohol consumption catching up to men: why this matters</a>
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<h2>A tale of two prime ministers</h2>
<p>Marin was castigated both within Finland and abroad after a video of her partying with friends was posted online earlier this month. Critics slammed her behaviour as “unfitting of a prime minister” and she was accused of acting like a “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-954X.2007.00704.x">ladette</a>”. She subsequently had to take a drug test in what she said was “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-20/finnish-pm-defends-dancing-takes-drug-test-to-clear-herself/101353932">for her own legal protection</a>” amid calls for her to step down. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1560015797367488517"}"></div></p>
<p>In Australia a few days later, Albanese was spotted at a Gang of Youths concert in Sydney drinking a beer. </p>
<p>The reaction to Albanese’s drinking went viral as well - for completely different reasons. He was cheered by the crowd and the harder he chugged the beer, the louder the cheers.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1561663920913276928"}"></div></p>
<p>To date, there has been no outrage. No calls for Albanese to do a drug test or to step down. </p>
<p>Why would similar behaviour by two world leaders be treated so differently? </p>
<h2>Gender double standards</h2>
<p>The wildly disparate reactions have sparked a conversation around gender double standards.</p>
<p>In Australia, drinking alcohol itself has long been a gendered activity. Women were not permitted in pubs in Australia <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.5172/hesr.2010.19.2.151">until the 1960s</a>. </p>
<p>Alcoholic beverages are even marketed at men and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395921004655">women differently</a>. Ads for beer drinking emphasise masculinity, while wine drinking is associated with femininity. Studies have shown that middle-aged men and women drink for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12103">different reasons</a>, with men more likely to see drinking as a reward for hard work and women more likely to drink in response to stresses or to wind down. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/oh-well-wine-oclock-what-midlife-women-told-us-about-drinking-and-why-its-so-hard-to-stop-188882">'Oh well, wine o’clock': what midlife women told us about drinking – and why it's so hard to stop</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>When it comes to young adults and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395917303250?via%3Dihub">public intoxication,</a> men’s drinking tends to be associated with public disorder, while women’s drinking is often associated with promiscuity and sexual vulnerability.</p>
<h2>Alcohol and ‘acceptable’ behaviour</h2>
<p>But one of the clearest ways gender is implicated in drinking is in notions of “acceptable behaviour”. </p>
<p>We know that men’s drinking tends to be seen as more acceptable than women’s drinking. This includes greater acceptability of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08870446.2011.617444">heavy drinking and public drunkenness</a> among men.</p>
<p>Women are also subject to greater criticism for intoxicated images of them on <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0959353515618224">social media</a>. Women drinkers are criticised even more harshly if they are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1467-9566.13475">mothers of young children</a> – a double standard that doesn’t seem to carry across to fathers. </p>
<p>In fact, gender expectations can mean that men are judged more harshly if they <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08870446.2020.1792905">choose <em>not</em> to drink</a>. That is, men are expected to drink. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481699/original/file-20220830-6748-wl1tor.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481699/original/file-20220830-6748-wl1tor.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481699/original/file-20220830-6748-wl1tor.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481699/original/file-20220830-6748-wl1tor.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481699/original/file-20220830-6748-wl1tor.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481699/original/file-20220830-6748-wl1tor.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481699/original/file-20220830-6748-wl1tor.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Research has shown that men that <em>don’t</em> drink are often penalised.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While drinking is common among both men and women in Australia, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.14279">men are more likely to drink</a>, and to drink more heavily than women. However, the acceptability of men’s drinking and its association with traditional forms of masculinity creates double standards. </p>
<h2>Debate terms</h2>
<p>Terms such as “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0891243205278639">hegemonic masculinities</a>” and “<a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-93308-5">appropriate femininities</a>” are often used in debates about men’s and women’s drinking. </p>
<p>Hegemonic masculinity refers to patterns of behaviour that allow men’s dominance over women to continue. Appropriate femininities refer to traits that are traditionally conceived of as feminine, such as passivity, caring, nurturing and self-control. </p>
<p>These terms are important because differences in the way women and men are represented when drinking reflects broader societal gendered norms. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australians-are-embracing-mindful-drinking-and-the-alcohol-industry-is-also-getting-sober-curious-160931">Australians are embracing 'mindful drinking' — and the alcohol industry is also getting sober curious</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395922002432">our recent research</a> drawing on interviews with young people aged 16-19 in Australia, the UK, Denmark, and Sweden, we reported how drinkers and states of intoxication were described in gendered terms. Examples for men included ‘"predatory", “violent” and “rowdy”, while for women terms used were “childish”, “bitchy” and “hysterical”. Clearly even among young people, some gendered stereotypes around alcohol persists.</p>
<h2>The future of drinking</h2>
<p>What is perhaps a silver lining to our research is that the young people in our studies expressed displeasure at displays of drinking that drew on the gendered norms described above. They talked about drinking less than the generations before them and objected to intoxication being linked to “toxic masculinities” or emotional and vulnerable femininities. </p>
<p>They also talked about non-drinking or moderate drinking as a way to reshape and challenge normative gendered drinking practices. Swedish research has shown that young men have new ways of “<a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0955395918303025">doing masculinity</a>” (for example, through sport or gaming), putting less pressure on them to drink heavily to fit in.</p>
<p>Although young people are challenging some of the gender double standards and expectations that come with alcohol, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2022.2071319">mainstream media often punish women’s drinking</a> more than men, as reflected in the disparate treatment of Marin and Alanese’s drinking escapades. </p>
<p>While their drinking practices outside of working hours have no bearing on their professional capabilities, the last few weeks have shown that gendered drinking stereotypes remain and have a significant impact.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189454/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Pennay receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, VicHealth, Beyond Blue, the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund and the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gabriel Caluzzi receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah J MacLean is a member of the Australian Greens. She receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.</span></em></p>
The different reactions this month to the alcohol consumption of two world leaders show how gendered the perceptions around drinking are.
Amy Pennay, Research Fellow, La Trobe University
Gabriel Caluzzi, Postdoctoral Research Officer, La Trobe University
Sarah J MacLean, Associate professor, La Trobe University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/189533
2022-08-29T09:35:03Z
2022-08-29T09:35:03Z
What does American basketballer Shaquille O’Neal have to do with the Indigenous Voice to Parliament?
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481533/original/file-20220829-13-i60s6d.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mick Tsikas/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>On Saturday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with former NBA star and current TV personality Shaquille O’Neal in Sydney to enlist the sport star’s support for constitutional recognition for an Indigenous voice. O’Neal <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/from-insulting-to-welcome-shaquille-oneals-support-for-indigenous-reform-draws-mixed-reactions/0jlz2g5wo">voiced his support</a> for changes to the Australian Constitution, but is his voice the right one? </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1564078033727791104"}"></div></p>
<p>The prime minister claimed O'Neal reached out to him because “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-27/shaquille-o-neal-anthony-albanese-voice-to-parliament/101379246">he wanted to inform himself</a> about what this debate was about”. </p>
<p>Now O'Neal will be a part of the government’s campaign to change the constitution, recording a 15-second advertisement for free. He is meant to be the first of many stars, including unnamed players in the AFL, NRL basketball and netball organisations, to offer their public support for an Indigenous Voice to parliament. </p>
<h2>Whose voice should be heard on the issue?</h2>
<p>For many, the selection of “Shaq” as a spokesperson for the Indigenous Voice to parliament is a strange one. O’Neal is well-known for his viral and sometimes problematic performances on and off the court. </p>
<p>During his NBA career, O'Neal built a reputation as an overpowering post presence and a savvy media jokester. In his current job as a sports analyst on the popular television show Inside the NBA, he hosts a popular segment known as “<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/list/collection/shaqtin-a-fool">Shaq’tin A Fool</a>,” which features bloopers from recent games. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sit-on-hands-or-take-a-stand-why-athletes-have-always-been-political-players-70397">Sit on hands or take a stand: why athletes have always been political players</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>He has made some foolish decisions himself over the years: his feud with Kobe Bryant filled the tabloids for years, the film Kazaam was a ratings failure, and he has made and apologised for a range of <a href="https://www.sportscasting.com/shaquille-oneal-apologized-yao-ming-called-out-dad/">racist</a> or possibly <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120606230641/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2002-11-05/sports/0211050282_1_sacramento-kings-christie-lakers">homophobic</a> comments. </p>
<p>Most Americans see O'Neal as a charismatic, even playful, person rather than as an engaged athlete activist. The prime minister claimed O'Neal had done great work in the US around “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-27/shaquille-o-neal-anthony-albanese-voice-to-parliament/101379246">social justice and lifting people up who are marginalised</a>” but has not followed up those comments with any specifics. </p>
<h2>Raising awareness</h2>
<p>Averill Gordon, Senior Lecturer in Public Relations at Auckland University of Technology, believes the choice of O'Neal will garner widespread domestic and international awareness and support for the Voice to Parliament. </p>
<p>“Athletes are a great way to internationalise an issue as sport and music are key themes used to drive most global PR campaigns.” </p>
<p>“The biggest challenge in a PR campaign is to move the people who are unaware of an issue to become aware,” she said. “Shaquille’s involvement and subsequent communication means people will become aware of this issue and may even become active. It also creates global traction that will feed back to Australia and circulate the message further, adding global interest that will ironically increase Australian awareness.” </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/establishing-a-voice-to-parliament-could-be-an-opportunity-for-indigenous-nation-building-heres-what-that-means-187534">Establishing a Voice to Parliament could be an opportunity for Indigenous Nation Building. Here's what that means</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>She notes the Australian government is addressing a global issue that “affects Australia’s country branding.”</p>
<p>“The (Albanese) government is garnering popular international support to drive a national issue. By using a US opinion leader, it moves this national issue to be recognised as a common global issue.”</p>
<h2>Support for conservative causes</h2>
<p>The inclusion of O'Neal in the Voice campaign undoubtedly brings attention to the government’s position, but the choice is still considered an odd one by many. Albanese’s problem is not people’s unfamiliarity with the debate over the Indigenous voice, but rather that <a href="https://theconversation.com/creating-a-constitutional-voice-the-words-that-could-change-australia-187972">few people yet know the proposed language</a> of any constitutional change. </p>
<p>It’s important to also note that O'Neal is not an avatar of the sort of progressive politics that encompasses issues like the Voice. In the increasingly political NBA, players such as Lebron James and general managers like Daryl Morey have <a href="https://theconversation.com/china-has-form-as-a-sports-bully-but-its-full-court-press-on-the-nba-may-backfire-125141">opened political firestorms</a> with their critiques of Donald Trump and the Chinese government. </p>
<p>O'Neal has previously been tied to more conservative causes. He is a strong supporter of police and sheriff’s departments across the United States, including in Los Angeles, Miami and, controversially, Maricopa Country, Arizona. Maricopa County’s former sheriff, Joe Arpaio, faced criticism for racial profiling, poor conditions for undocumented immigrants, and eventually <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/348061-trump-pardons-arpaio/">received a pardon</a> from Trump following his conviction for criminal contempt of court.</p>
<p>O’Neal’s strong support for law enforcement, despite the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, might make activists working in the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/04/14/australia-act-indigenous-deaths-custody">Stop First Nations Deaths in Custody</a> uncomfortable, as it has <a href="https://www.theroot.com/shaquille-o-neals-politics-have-always-been-confusing-1823768959">for many African Americans too</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-cant-breathe-australia-must-look-in-the-mirror-to-see-our-own-deaths-in-custody-139848">'I can't breathe!' Australia must look in the mirror to see our own deaths in custody</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>If O'Neal has become a progressive, the change happened recently, since he admitted in 2020 that he had never voted. In subsequent political commentary, he argued athletes should keep quiet in the press and social media. He <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/12/why-shaquille-oneal-voted-for-the-first-time.html">told Sports Illustrated</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My thought is that if you are not an expert on it, or if you haven’t been doing it, don’t do it. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>So when did he become an expert on constitutional issues in Australia? </p>
<h2>Indigenous voices divided?</h2>
<p>The government must also take care that any Voice spokespeople, including O'Neal, do not replace the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander people. There is a vigorous debate among Indigenous people about the shape of any Voice to parliament. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481538/original/file-20220829-20-xcngmp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481538/original/file-20220829-20-xcngmp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481538/original/file-20220829-20-xcngmp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481538/original/file-20220829-20-xcngmp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481538/original/file-20220829-20-xcngmp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481538/original/file-20220829-20-xcngmp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481538/original/file-20220829-20-xcngmp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481538/original/file-20220829-20-xcngmp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The push to get an Indigenous voice in federal parliament was a key theme at July’s Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Minister for Indigenous Australians and Wiradjuri woman Linda Burney was with Albanese and O'Neal on Saturday. She lauded O'Neal’s efforts, presenting the American with a boomerang made by Indigenous artist Josh Evans and a South Sydney Rabbitohs Indigenous round jersey. </p>
<p>Indigenous politicians from across the political spectrum have illustrated the complexity of this issue in Australia and the unsuitability of O'Neal as a commentator on it. On the political right, Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, a Warlpiri woman, said “I’ve no doubt Shaq’s a top bloke but it’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-29/analysis-shaq-loves-indigenous-voice-but-will-it-score/101381066">a bit insulting</a> to call on a black American to help with black Australians as if this is all about the colour of one’s skin.” She followed up by calling Albanese’s move a desperate measure. </p>
<p>Green Party’s Senator Lidia Thorpe, of DjabWurrung, Gunnai, and Gunditjmara descent, also took aim at O’Neal. She wrote on Twitter:</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1563719706418479104"}"></div></p>
<h2>‘Nothing about us without us’</h2>
<p>In fact, there is reason to worry the selection of O'Neal as a spokesperson might overshadow the work Indigenous Australians have done in the sports space already. </p>
<p>In the past, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes in a range of disciplines including athletics, AFL and Rugby League have used their sporting prestige to bring attention to Indigenous issues. Albanese could conceivably call on a range of beloved current and retired indigenous sports stars, such as Cathy Freeman, Adam Goodes or Ash Barty, to address this complicated issue. </p>
<p>Many Australian sporting institutions, including the <a href="https://www.anocolympic.org/noc-highlights/australian-olympic-committee-approves-permanent-indigenous-voice-on-the-aoc-athletes-commission/">Australian Olympic Committee</a>, already have committees devoted to including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices. But that would require Albanese to wade into the complexities of Indigenous politics in Australia rather than take advantage of a celebrity from America. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/most-australians-support-first-nations-voice-to-parliament-survey-157964">Most Australians support First Nations Voice to parliament: survey</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Polling shows many Australians <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-04/indigenous-voice-to-parliament-vote-compass/101031774">are already supportive </a>of an Indigenous Voice to parliament. Many in the public, as well as in Canberra, are wary of any decision made without appropriate consultation with Indigenous people and without clear language dictating the relationship between the Indigenous Voice and parliament.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189533/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Is the Albanese government’s decision to bring NBA star Shaquille O'Neal in on Indigenous reform inspired or ‘cultural cringe’?
Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University
Averill Gordon, Senior Lecturer, Public Relations, Auckland University of Technology
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/189460
2022-08-29T06:27:08Z
2022-08-29T06:27:08Z
Foreign policy and the Albanese government’s first 100 days
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481256/original/file-20220826-23548-u4iemp.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C5542%2C3667&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has just reached 100 days, a time to assess its performance. </p>
<p>Looking at foreign policy, the question is whether there has been <a href="https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2022/07/31/a-new-australian-foreign-policy-agenda-under-albanese/">continuity or change</a> from the policies of prior governments. The correct answer is usually both.</p>
<p>Commentators will rightly say there has been great continuity on international policy with no revolutionary change in direction. As Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong recently <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2F1c3RyYWxpYWludGhld29ybGQvZmVlZC54bWw/episode/YXVzdHJhbGlhaW50aGV3b3JsZC5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS80YTJkMmY4MC0yZjFmLTNhN2MtYWNlYi1kMGM5ZDZmNTNlMjk?hl=en-AU&ved=2ahUKEwju0MWdttL5AhUDyzgGHSn5A_IQieUEegQINBAF&ep=6">said</a>, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I have made clear that our national interests, our strategic policy settings haven’t changed – but obviously the government has, and how the government approaches engaging with the world and articulating those interests has changed.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/first-newspoll-since-election-gives-albanese-honeymoon-ratings-australias-poor-success-rate-at-referendums-187690">First Newspoll since election gives Albanese 'honeymoon' ratings; Australia's poor success rate at referendums</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>So where can we see this change?</p>
<h2>Increased international engagement</h2>
<p>The first change is in the simple volume of international engagement. The day after he was sworn in, Albanese was in Tokyo for the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/anthony-albanese-at-the-quad-leaders-meeting-in-tokyo-20220524-h23zqm.html">Quad Leaders’ Summit</a>, quickly followed by his first bilateral visit to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-06/albanese-heads-to-indonesia-on-first-bilateral-visit/101127598">Indonesia</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481259/original/file-20220826-14204-xznyix.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481259/original/file-20220826-14204-xznyix.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481259/original/file-20220826-14204-xznyix.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481259/original/file-20220826-14204-xznyix.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481259/original/file-20220826-14204-xznyix.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481259/original/file-20220826-14204-xznyix.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481259/original/file-20220826-14204-xznyix.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481259/original/file-20220826-14204-xznyix.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">(Left to right) Anthony Albanese, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pose for a photo during the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), May 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Wong has made four separate trips to the Pacific (<a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/speech/speech-pacific-islands-forum-secretariat">Fiji</a>, <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/transcript/joint-press-conference-apia-samoa">Samoa</a> and <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/transcript/joint-press-conference-nukualofa-tonga">Tonga</a>, <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/transcript/joint-press-conference-new-zealand-foreign-minister-nanaia-mahuta">New Zealand</a> and <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/transcript/press-conference-honiara">Solomon Islands</a>, as well as July’s <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/speech/speech-pacific-islands-forum-secretariat">Pacific Islands Forum Summit</a>) and three to Southeast Asia (<a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/visit-vietnam-and-malaysia">Vietnam and Malaysia</a>, <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/visit-singapore-and-indonesia">Singapore and Indonesia</a> twice). </p>
<p>Minister for Defence Richard Marles has visited <a href="https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/rmarles/speeches/address-iiss-19th-shangri-la-dialogue-singapore">Singapore</a>, <a href="https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/rmarles/speeches/speech-national-defence-college-new-delhi-india">India</a>, the <a href="https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/rmarles/speeches/address-center-strategic-and-international-studies-csis">United States</a> and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in <a href="https://ministers.dfat.gov.au/minister/pat-conroy/media-release/deputy-prime-minister-marles-and-minister-conroy-attend-commonwealth-heads-government-meeting-2022-rwanda">Rwanda</a>. And Minister for Trade Don Farrell was busy in Geneva with the <a href="https://www.trademinister.gov.au/minister/don-farrell/media-release/pursuing-australias-trade-priorities-global-stage">WTO Ministerial Conference</a> and bilateral meetings.</p>
<p>Some of this activity is due to the fortuitous timing of international meetings, but the rest is a conscious choice to prioritise international engagement. It suggests a certain amount of pent-up energy among new ministers with much on their agendas after so long in opposition. </p>
<p>The overall impression is of a government focused on international matters, which has perhaps adopted the mindset that <a href="https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/insights/marvin,-what-do-we-do-now">external policy</a> is as important as domestic policy. Albanese defended his trip to the NATO summit and Ukraine saying, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>we can’t <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/prime-minister-defends-international-travel-during-floods-20220705-p5az96.html">separate</a> international events from their impact on Australia and Australians.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Resetting key relationships</h2>
<p>The second change is a reset in some key relationships. Every new government should use the opportunity to get rid of barnacles that have attached themselves to the ship of state. </p>
<p>This was most notable in the reset in <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-23/albanese-visit-to-paris-to-reset-australia-france-relationship/101176896">relations with France</a>, still seething from the cancellation of its submarine construction deal in favour of AUKUS, the trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jun/12/richard-marles-says-talks-with-china-possible-after-first-ministerial-contact-with-australia-in-two-years">diplomatic freeze</a> with China was broken by the two ministers for defence meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue and the ministers for foreign affairs meeting soon after. This was presented as “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/08/penny-wong-china-and-australia-take-first-steps-towards-stabilising-relationship">stabilising the relationship</a>”, with the government stressing that there has been no change in policy position.</p>
<h2>Changes in climate, Pacific and South-East Asia</h2>
<p>Third, there has been a substantive policy change on <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/news/australia-submits-new-emissions-target-to-unfccc">climate action</a>. This has had an impact on Australia’s international relations, particularly in the Pacific, where there had been no secret about Pacific leaders’ <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/16/fiji-pm-frank-bainimarama-insulting-scott-morrison-rift-pacific-countries">disappointment</a> in Australia’s lack of climate ambition. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/laggard-to-leader-labor-could-repair-australias-tattered-reputation-on-climate-change-if-it-gets-these-things-right-182860">Laggard to leader? Labor could repair Australia’s tattered reputation on climate change, if it gets these things right</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Only four days after being sworn in, Wong spoke to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to herald “<a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/speech/speech-pacific-islands-forum-secretariat">a new era</a> in Australian engagement in the Pacific” based on standing “shoulder to shoulder with our Pacific family” in response to the climate crisis. </p>
<p>Pacific leaders including the prime ministers of <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/transcript/joint-press-conference-apia-samoa">Samoa</a> and <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/transcript/joint-press-conference-nukualofa-tonga">Tonga</a> welcomed this policy shift. While it won’t all be plain sailing ahead – with Australia likely to continue to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/12/australia-at-odds-with-neighbouring-nations-on-new-coal-and-gas-projects-at-pacific-island-forum">face pressure</a> around the speed of its transition away from fossil fuels – relations are much more positive.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481253/original/file-20220826-10780-mrh8rq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481253/original/file-20220826-10780-mrh8rq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481253/original/file-20220826-10780-mrh8rq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481253/original/file-20220826-10780-mrh8rq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481253/original/file-20220826-10780-mrh8rq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481253/original/file-20220826-10780-mrh8rq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481253/original/file-20220826-10780-mrh8rq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481253/original/file-20220826-10780-mrh8rq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, right, holds a joint press conference with Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Fourth, there has been a change in tone on some issues. For example, in South-east Asia former Prime Minister Morrison’s framing around an “<a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/scott-morrison-says-aukus-and-quad-key-to-fight-back-against-chinas-arc-of-autocracy-after-missing-first-week-of-parliament/news-story/c798f6c004eaabc5e952118d69d73948">arc of autocracies</a>” was viewed as proposing a binary choice between democratic and authoritarian blocs. The Albanese government’s <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/australia-s-shared-future-with-southeast-asia">messaging</a> emphasises “<a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/i5Z4Ck8vpKsOl1V0KINOh5w?domain=foreignminister.gov.au">strategic equilibrium</a>” where “countries are not forced to choose but can make their own sovereign choices, including about their alignments and partnerships”. </p>
<h2>Increasing Australia’s international capability</h2>
<p>Finally, the government is beginning the hard work of increasing Australia’s international <a href="https://www.devintelligencelab.com/intel/28july2022">capability</a> across all tools of statecraft. It has announced a <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/defence-strategic-review">Defence Strategic Review</a> and is updating its <a href="https://devpolicy.org/labor-will-rebuild-australias-international-development-program-20220516/">International Development Policy</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/diplomacy-is-essential-to-a-peaceful-world-so-why-did-dfats-funding-go-backwards-in-the-budget-180313">Diplomacy is essential to a peaceful world, so why did DFAT's funding go backwards in the budget?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The government has also <a href="https://asiasociety.org/australia/election-policy-brief-diplomacy-and-statecraft">committed</a> to building the capability of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade after decades of declining funding. Allan Gyngell, National President of the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA), sees this as a significant change: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“After years of marginalisation, foreign policy has been <a href="https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2022/07/31/a-new-australian-foreign-policy-agenda-under-albanese/">restored</a> to a more central part of Australian statecraft.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Long-term goals</h2>
<p>Overall, after the flurry of early visits, the Albanese government gives the impression of a government settling in for the long-term. </p>
<p>Looking back on nine years of the previous government – with <a href="https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/australias-prime-ministers">three prime ministers</a> creating a sense of constant campaign mode – domestic politics often seemed to dominate. The new government gives the impression it is building relationships for the long-term – three, six or more years.</p>
<p>In its first frenetic days, the Albanese government took the opportunity to reset some key relationships. Now it’s all about steadily building these relationships and the capability to enable Australia to pursue its national interests in the long-term.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189460/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melissa Conley Tyler is Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy & Defence Dialogue (AP4D), a platform for collaboration between the development, diplomacy and defence communities. It receives funding from the Australian Civil-Military Centre and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.</span></em></p>
The new government’s focus on international engagement has allowed Australia to reset important relationships abroad.
Melissa Conley Tyler, Honorary Fellow, Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/188515
2022-08-18T20:06:06Z
2022-08-18T20:06:06Z
How to deal with fossil fuel lobbying and its growing influence in Australian politics
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479532/original/file-20220817-1453-pqwu6h.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C0%2C7106%2C4727&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Will climate action undermine Australia’s democracy? This question might not be as outlandish as it seems. </p>
<p>A recent <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/revealed-car-industry-s-secret-emissions-plan-would-slow-electric-vehicle-uptake-20220805-p5b7pe.html">investigation</a> details a campaign by the car industry to have its (low) voluntary standards on fuel efficiency legislated into national standards. This campaign fits into a broader pattern of lobbying by the fossil fuel industry to hinder effective climate action and highlights the importance of democratic integrity in addressing the climate crisis as well as the urgent need for robust regulation of lobbying.</p>
<h2>The fossil fuel lobby and climate inaction</h2>
<p>University of Melbourne professor Ross Garnaut has <a href="https://cpb-ap-se2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.unimelb.edu.au/dist/a/142/files/2016/01/2009-Hawke-Lecture-Ross-Garnaut-287yxpi.pdf">observed</a> that “(e)missions-intensive industries have invested heavily to influence climate change policy since the early days of discussion of these issues”.</p>
<p>We see the influence of these investments in various ways:</p>
<ul>
<li>the resources industry is by far the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/highly-problematic-for-public-trust-australian-political-donations-revealed-20210117-p56up0.html">biggest donor in Australian politics</a></li>
<li>the $22 million advertising campaign by mining companies against the Rudd government’s resource super profits tax was such a success that it’s now become routine for industry groups to threaten a “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/a-snip-at-22m-to-get-rid-of-pm-20110201-1acgj.html">mining tax style campaign</a>” every time they don’t get their way with government</li>
<li>fossil fuel industry employees and lobbyists have included former <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-26/ian-macfarlane-appointed-to-run-queensland-mining-lobby/7876942">Liberal Party</a>, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/csg-industry-hires-wellconnected-staffers-20150515-gh2rg3.html">National Party and ALP</a> ministers.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/be-worried-when-fossil-fuel-lobbyists-support-current-environmental-laws-138526">Be worried when fossil fuel lobbyists support current environmental laws</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Rise of the ‘greenhouse mafia’</h2>
<p>Marian Wilkinson’s book <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Carbon-Club-influential-politicians-Australias-ebook/dp/B085BZSPCR"><em>The Carbon Club</em></a> provides a compelling account of how a network of climate-science sceptics, politicians and business leaders brought about decades of climate inaction in Australia. </p>
<p>Under the Howard government, climate change policy was determined by fossil fuel lobbyists who likened themselves to organised crime through a self-styled label — the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/the-greenhouse-mafia/8953566">greenhouse mafia</a>. </p>
<p>The group has contributed to the outsized role the fossil fuels industry has in steering government policy. Perhaps most importantly, fossil fuel companies have played an instrumental role in ousting two out of the six prime ministers Australia has had since 2007; <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/a-snip-at-22m-to-get-rid-of-pm-20110201-1acgj.html">Kevin Rudd</a> and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-28/alex-turnbull-says-coal-miners-have-undue-influence-on-liberals/10170908">Malcolm Turnbull</a>. </p>
<p>The term, “<a href="https://www.oecd.org/governance/preventing-policy-capture-9789264065239-en.htm">policy capture</a>” is described by the OECD to mean when public decisions over policies are consistently directed away from the public interest towards a specific interest, leading to inequalities and undermining democratic values, economic growth, and trust in government. The use of the phrase in this context has a certain validity. </p>
<h2>The lobbying risks of climate action</h2>
<p>Paradoxically, the risks associated with fossil fuel lobbying increase with higher levels of climate action. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479533/original/file-20220817-18424-ki2vzq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479533/original/file-20220817-18424-ki2vzq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479533/original/file-20220817-18424-ki2vzq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479533/original/file-20220817-18424-ki2vzq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479533/original/file-20220817-18424-ki2vzq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479533/original/file-20220817-18424-ki2vzq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479533/original/file-20220817-18424-ki2vzq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479533/original/file-20220817-18424-ki2vzq.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=538&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Effective climate change policies will mean increased regulation of fossil fuel industries.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Effective climate action will mean increased regulation of fossil fuel industries, such as more stringent emission standards for the largest greenhouse emitters under the ALP’s <a href="https://keystone-alp.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/prod/61a9693a3f3c53001f975017-PoweringAustralia.pdf">Powering Australia</a> plan. Under the plan, substantial amounts of public funds will go towards climate action.</p>
<p>As a result, the fossil fuel industries and other sections of the community will naturally seek to influence government climate decisions. That in itself is not undemocratic – fossil fuel industries have a legitimate role in influencing government policy. </p>
<p>However, what is undemocratic is their disproportionate influence and how it is often wielded behind closed doors.</p>
<h2>Regulatory failures of federal lobbying system</h2>
<p><a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AdelLawRw/2020/19.html">Lobbying regulation in Australia</a> is particularly scant. It currently takes the form of a public lobbyist register and a <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/integrity/publications/lobbying-code-conduct">code of conduct</a>. </p>
<p>The secrecy and lack of integrity around fossil fuel lobbying stems directly from the shortcomings of federal lobbying regulation. This lack of transparency also includes:</p>
<ul>
<li>lobbying coverage that has been confined to commercial lobbyists, who only comprise <a href="https://law.adelaide.edu.au/ua/media/1773/Regulating%20the%20Influencers%20The%20Evolution%20of%20Lobbying%20Regulation%20in%20Australia.pdf">20% of the lobbyist population</a>, excluding other “repeat players” such as in-house lobbyists</li>
<li>Dismal disclosure obligations that require only the name and contact details of the lobbyist and the client they are representing. There is a vacuum of knowledge about when lobbyists are contacting government officials and over what issues. </li>
</ul>
<p>Enforcing violations is also a huge concern. In 2018, the Commonwealth Auditor-General <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/132756">found</a> the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, which oversaw the federal lobbyist register, did not take any action against lobbyists despite identifying at least 11 possible breaches. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/politicians-must-mine-the-divide-between-coal-lobbies-and-energy-companies-124877">Politicians must mine the divide between coal lobbies and energy companies</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The way forward</h2>
<p>Three essential reforms will make federal lobbying regulation more effective, while also assisting with effective climate action.</p>
<p>First, coverage under federal lobbying regulation should extend to both commercial lobbyists and in-house lobbyists. Following the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (ICAC) <a href="https://www.icac.nsw.gov.au/investigations/past-investigations/2021/operation-eclipse">Operation Eclipse</a>, the NSW government <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/nsw-to-implement-strongest-lobbying-integrity-measures-australia">will implement</a> lobbying laws that will regulate these two classes of lobbyists (as is done in <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/l-12.4/">Canada</a> and the <a href="https://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov/lda.html">United States</a>). </p>
<p>Second, there should be greater transparency of lobbying activity by requiring:</p>
<ul>
<li>lobbyists to disclose every lobbying contact (such as in <a href="https://lobbyists.integrity.qld.gov.au/ContactLog.aspx">Queensland</a>, <a href="https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/advSrch?lang=eng">Canada</a> and <a href="https://www.lobbying.scot/">Scotland</a>) </li>
<li>ministers, senior ministerial advisers and senior public servants to provide monthly disclosures of who has contacted them and why. Currently, <a href="https://cabinet.qld.gov.au/ministers-portfolios.aspx">Queensland</a> discloses ministerial diaries, while <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/nsw-to-implement-strongest-lobbying-integrity-measures-australia">NSW will</a> disclose diaries of ministers and MPs</li>
<li>the establishment of an independent regulator or commissioner to regularly monitor and take action in these matters if needed, such as the NSW government has <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/nsw-to-implement-strongest-lobbying-integrity-measures-australia">committed</a> to do.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3917720">Safeguarding democracy</a> is imperative in the climate crisis and to the functioning of government overall. Robust lobbying regulation is an essential measure to ensure that all are protected.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188515/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joo-Cheong Tham has received funding from the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption for the discussion paper for Operation Eclipse and is a Director of the Centre for Public Integrity. He has also received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, European Trade Union Institute and International IDEA. and is a national councillor and Victorian division assistant secretary (academic staff)-elect of the National Tertiary Education Union.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yee-Fui Ng has received funding from the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption for writing the discussion paper for Operation Eclipse. </span></em></p>
Efforts to control the fossil fuel industry lobbying of the federal government must step up or we could face greater inequality and lessened democracy.
Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne
Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/188884
2022-08-17T05:20:53Z
2022-08-17T05:20:53Z
Parliament must act to ensure Australia never has ‘secret ministers’ again
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479560/original/file-20220817-20-i9o1lc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C10%2C7014%2C4666&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It was revealed this week that former Prime Minister Scott Morrison was secretly <a href="https://www.pmc.gov.au/news-centre/government/instruments-scott-morrison-2020-21">appointed</a> in 2020 and 2021 by Governor-General David Hurley as a minister in the health, finance, treasury, resources and home affairs portfolios. </p>
<p>The cabinet didn’t know, the parliament didn’t know, and the public didn’t know about these appointments. So far, it appears Morrison only exercised his secret ministerial powers in the resources portfolio.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/scott-morrison-made-himself-treasurer-days-before-the-2021-budget-188808">Scott Morrison made himself treasurer days before the 2021 budget</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The situation has been described in various ways, including as “the sort of tin-pot activity that we would ridicule if it was in a non-democratic country” by Prime Minister <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/15/anthony-albanese-seeks-legal-advice-over-reports-scott-morrison-secretly-swore-himself-into-ministry-roles">Anthony Albanese</a>; “sinister” by former Prime Minister <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-15/scott-morrison-secret-portfolios-sinister-says-malcolm-turnbull/101335926">Malcolm Turnbull</a>; and “unusual, unorthodox and strange” by former Prime Minister <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/unusual-unorthodox-and-strange-tony-abbott-delivers-his-verdict-on-morrison-s-mega-ministries-20220816-p5baed.html">Tony Abbott</a>.</p>
<p>It is intolerable for there to be secret ministers. Parliament must act to prevent this ever happening again.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479548/original/file-20220817-23-j51tsx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479548/original/file-20220817-23-j51tsx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479548/original/file-20220817-23-j51tsx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479548/original/file-20220817-23-j51tsx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479548/original/file-20220817-23-j51tsx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479548/original/file-20220817-23-j51tsx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479548/original/file-20220817-23-j51tsx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479548/original/file-20220817-23-j51tsx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Scott Morrison, the former Prime Minister, has faced a firestorm of criticism over his secret ministerial appointments.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How are ministers appointed?</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/coacac627/s64.html">Constitution</a> gives the governor-general power to appoint ministers. If you read the text of the Constitution without knowing anything else, you would get the impression the governor-general has broad discretion in appointing ministers. </p>
<p>In practice, that power is limited by unwritten constitutional conventions. One of the most important conventions is that the person who commands the confidence of the House of Representatives should be appointed prime minister. This is usually the leader of the party (or parties in coalition) that has a majority of seats. In turn, the prime minister advises the governor-general on who should be appointed to other ministries.</p>
<p>The governor-general’s power to appoint ministers is also limited by legislation. The <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/mosa1952217/">Ministers of State Act 1952</a> limits the number of people who can be appointed as ministers. A maximum of 30 people can be appointed as ministers and a maximum of 12 people can be appointed as parliamentary secretaries or assistant ministers.</p>
<h2>Ministerial accountability and the role of the governor-general</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/coacac627/s61.html">Constitution</a> says executive power is exercised by the governor-general. In practice, of course, executive power is really exercised by the prime minister and other ministers. Australia’s Westminster system of government is premised on ministerial accountability to parliament. </p>
<p>Ministerial accountability to parliament can only work effectively if parliament knows who the ministers are and which ministers are responsible for what. A number of politicians and commentators have pointed out that, in secretly appointing himself to several ministries, Morrison misled cabinet and parliament over an extended period of time.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/word-from-the-hill-on-scott-morrisons-bizarre-power-grab-188830">Word from The Hill: On Scott Morrison's bizarre power grab</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>No one has been able to point to any past examples of a governor-general appointing secret ministers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479541/original/file-20220817-24-g5jxhm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479541/original/file-20220817-24-g5jxhm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=925&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479541/original/file-20220817-24-g5jxhm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=925&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479541/original/file-20220817-24-g5jxhm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=925&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479541/original/file-20220817-24-g5jxhm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1163&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479541/original/file-20220817-24-g5jxhm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1163&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479541/original/file-20220817-24-g5jxhm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1163&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">David Hurley, the Governor-General of Australia, has also faced criticism for his role in the secret portfolio scandal.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">PAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Criticisms are also being made of Hurley’s role in all this. Labor MP Julian Hill <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/mps-question-governor-general-s-role-in-morrison-ministry-saga-20220816-p5baao.html">said</a>, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The governor-general seems to have effectively participated in a scheme that misled the cabinet, the parliament and the public as to the allocation of ministerial power.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A spokesperson for the governor-general released a <a href="https://twitter.com/samanthamaiden/status/1559009485439762433">statement</a> on Monday stating that the appointment of multiple ministers to a single portfolio is not unusual. The statement also claimed it was a matter for the government of the day as to whether and how to publicise ministerial appointments. The first point is true, but the second is more complex.</p>
<p>The governor-general’s statement arguably fails to appreciate the seriousness of the issue. Why did he never mention the secret appointments to other ministers over the years? What steps did Hurley take to prevent Morrison from misleading parliament about the makeup of the ministry?</p>
<p>The governor-general’s statement was issued when we knew of only three of the secret ministries. It failed to mention he had appointed Morrison to other ministries that nobody knew about at the time, leading to the continued misleading of the public.</p>
<h2>Ministerial appointments and responsibilities must be published</h2>
<p>We can no longer rely on unwritten constitutional conventions to ensure the parliament and the public know who the ministers are and what responsibilities each of them possesses. Constitutional propriety on the part of a governor-general and prime minister can no longer be taken for granted.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-morrisons-passion-for-control-trashed-conventions-and-accountability-188747">View from The Hill: Morrison's passion for control trashed conventions and accountability</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Parliament must reassert its supremacy over the executive, and ensure the exercise of ministerial power is accountable to parliament. </p>
<p>Parliament should amend the Ministers of State Act to require the governor-general to publish in the gazette every appointment of a minister; every change to the portfolios held by a minister; any change to which government department is responsible for an area of policy; and every change to which minister is responsible for a piece of legislation.</p>
<p>Parliament should also amend the act to require ministers to publish in the gazette every authorisation of another minister to act in their stead. <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/aia1901230/s34aab.html">Legislation</a> currently allows a minister to authorise another minister to act on their behalf. This is a useful mechanism if a minister goes on leave, for example, but there’s no requirement for these authorisations to be made public. </p>
<p>There should be no secret ministers. The states should also enact similar laws, given that a similar scandal is theoretically possible at the state level too.</p>
<p>We must remain vigilant in ensuring adherence to constitutional norms.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188884/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luke Beck is a member of the Australian Labor Party.</span></em></p>
Legislation must be created to ensure that Scott Morrison’s secretive ministerial power grab never happens again
Luke Beck, Professor of Constitutional Law, Monash University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/186611
2022-08-12T15:21:58Z
2022-08-12T15:21:58Z
How to fix the pensions triple lock but still protect pensioners from high inflation
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478044/original/file-20220808-12-2l3tdk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=47%2C20%2C4457%2C3174&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The triple lock increases some benefits payments by inflation, earnings or 2.5%, whichever is highest.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/three-woman-hands-different-keys-try-2171072465">Max_Z / Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Plans to increase state pension payments in line with inflation have been reinstated by the UK government and are supported by <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61894368">both</a> of the <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1649693/state-pension-payment-liz-truss-triple-lock-leadership-election">contenders</a> for the Conservative party leadership.
But even if inflation was not always at the <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/2022-07-20/inflation-hits-new-40-year-high-at-94#:%7E:text=Weather-,Inflation%20hits%20new%2040%2Dyear%20high%20at%209.4,amid%20cost%2Dof%2Dliving%20squeeze">40-year high</a> we are currently seeing, a more sustainable way of calculating pensioners’ state income is needed.</p>
<p>The pensions triple lock was first introduced in the June 2010 budget.
It means annual increases in payments are made in line with the highest out of earnings growth (<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/averageweeklyearningsingreatbritain/july2022">6.2%</a> as of May 2022), price inflation (currently <a href="https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation">9.4%</a>) or 2.5%. </p>
<p>The triple lock was <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58476547">suspended</a> for one year in April 2022 as the end of the COVID-19 furlough scheme inflated average earnings growth. The government is now <a href="https://www.ftadviser.com/pensions/2022/05/26/sunak-confirms-return-of-triple-lock-next-year/">bringing it back</a> in time for the annual update in pension and other state payments, which will come into effect in April 2023. The annual increase will be set by the government in the autumn. With inflation high and rising (the Bank of England expects it to reach <a href="https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy-summary-and-minutes/2022/august-2022">13% by October</a>), it will be the measure used for the increase.</p>
<p>Inflation of more than 10% will see the value of a full basic state pension climb past £155 a week, while that of the new state pension – available to those reaching the state pension age since April 2016 – will increase to more than £200 a week. Since earnings are currently growing less quickly than inflation, a rise in pension income will be greater than any increase in average earnings. In other words, people receiving state pension payments will typically see stronger income growth than those relying on earned income. </p>
<p>As a result, the current period of higher growth in prices than in earnings has brought the triple lock into question. This is because it protects the value of state pensions when earnings growth is weak (as it is now) but will also continue to increase with any subsequent recovery in earnings.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://obr.uk/frs/fiscal-risks-and-sustainability-july-2022/">recent report</a> from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) shows why this approach is unsustainable. While inflation is spiking at the moment, the OBR believes it will average 2% over the long term and that average earnings growth will be around 3.8%. But it also thinks the triple lock will imply an average annual increase of 4.3% for pensions. This is because of volatility in the two sets of figures: while often earnings will grow faster than prices, on occasion that is not the case.</p>
<h2>Unexpected expense</h2>
<p>As such, maintaining the triple lock would see the value of the basic state pension and new state pension continue to grow faster than average earnings, pushing up government spending on state pensions. Overall, the OBR report projects that state pension spending will increase from 4.8% of national income in 2021–2022 to 8.1% in 50 years time, an increase of 3.2% of national income, which is equivalent to more than £80 billion a year in today’s terms. This is despite further rises in the state pension age. And the use of the triple lock will be a key driver of this increase, not average earnings growth. </p>
<p>When the triple lock was first introduced in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/jun/22/emergency-budget-full-speech-text#:%7E:text=by%20our%20new-,triple%20lock,-which%20will%20guarantee">June 2010 Budget</a> it was not expected to be this expensive. If the triple lock had been used over the 19 years prior to its launch, from 1991 to 2009, it would only have been more generous than increases in line with average earnings growth on three occasions. And so, overall, it would have caused state pension increases averaging just 0.1% a year more than if it was calculated using average earnings indexation. </p>
<p>In contrast, over the 12 years from 2010 to 2021, since the policy was first implemented, triple lock indexation would have been more generous than average earnings indexation on eight occasions, according to my calculations based on ONS figures. This would have caused state pension increases averaging 1% a year faster than average earnings indexation.</p>
<p>As such, the triple lock has already been significantly more expensive than
expected. It was initially estimated to have cost £450 million in 2014–15, but subsequent <a href="https://obr.uk/wtr/welfare-trends-report-june-2015/">OBR analysis</a> suggests that it actually cost six times more – or £2.9 billion. This is clearly not sustainable, particularly amid the current economic downturn. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Older man at laptop with phone" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478046/original/file-20220808-20-g0rcqf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478046/original/file-20220808-20-g0rcqf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478046/original/file-20220808-20-g0rcqf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478046/original/file-20220808-20-g0rcqf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478046/original/file-20220808-20-g0rcqf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478046/original/file-20220808-20-g0rcqf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/478046/original/file-20220808-20-g0rcqf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There are more sustainable ways to calculate state pension payments in the current economic environment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/old-african-american-man-sitting-his-2080766281">astarot / Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Finding more sustainable solutions</h2>
<p>One solution put forward in the Conservatives’ 2017 general election manifesto was to move to a <a href="https://ucrel.lancs.ac.uk/wmatrix/ukmanifestos2017/localpdf/Conservatives.pdf">double lock</a>, where the pension would increase by the greater of growth in prices or earnings. So the 2.5% underpin would no longer exist. In recent years inflation has been greater than earnings or 2.5%, and sometimes both earnings and inflation have been below 2.5%. So the triple lock has been more generous than earnings indexation, and a double lock would also have been more generous than earnings indexation (but not as generous as a triple lock). </p>
<p>But over the period from 2010 to 2021, a double lock still would still have seen the state pension increase by an average of 0.7% a year more than average earnings growth, according to my calculations. So while it would not be as expensive as the triple lock, it’s still not fiscally sustainable over the longer term. </p>
<p>Another option is to move to directly link pensions to average earnings. This was <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/22/contents">legislated</a> by the Labour government in 2007 following the recommendations of the Pensions Commission. Such a policy could be fiscally sustainable over the long term, if implemented alongside state pension age increases due to rising longevity. But it would mean that in periods where earnings growth was running below inflation (such as now) there would be a real squeeze on pensioners’ incomes. </p>
<p>There is an alternative that would both be as generous as (but not more generous than) earnings indexation over the long term, but that would also preserve the real (inflation-adjusted) value of state pensions in years in which earnings were not keeping pace with prices. Instead of a triple lock, the government could set a target level for the state pension relative to average earnings – let’s say that pensions should be worth 25% of average earnings every year. If this target was 10% more than current pension payments, for example, the government could set a longer-term strategy for meeting that target by increasing payments in smaller annual increments. If prices grow faster than earnings one year, the government could make pension payments price-indexed and then adjust in subsequent years to remain on track for the target, if needed.</p>
<p>This would preserve the real value of state pensions without locking in unsustainable increases at times when earnings are growing faster than prices (as happens under a triple or double lock). It would protect pensioners from inflation while following a target. For whoever ends up being chancellor in the autumn, this could be a way to help improve long-term public finances.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186611/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>
The support of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is gratefully acknowledged (grant reference ES/W001594/1), as co-funding from the Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy (ES/T014334/1) at the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Over the last three years, I have also received research grants from the following parties, who may be interested in the topic and findings but who have had no material interest in this work nor any engagement with it:
• Centre for Ageing Better
• Department for Work and Pensions
• Social Security Administration
• Nuffield Foundation
• As part of a consortium of funders of research into retirement and savings: Age UK, Aviva UK, Association of British Insurers, Association of Consulting Actuaries, Canada Life, Chartered Insurance Institute, Department for Work and Pensions, Interactive Investor, Investment Association, Legal and General Investment Management, Money and Pensions Service, and Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association.
I am Deputy Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies. In addition I am a member of the Social Security Advisory Committee and of the advisory panel of the Office for Budget Responsibility.</span></em></p>
The reintroduction of the pensions triple lock means the increase in weekly payments could vastly outpace earnings growth
Carl Emmerson, Deputy Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/188291
2022-08-09T02:00:21Z
2022-08-09T02:00:21Z
Explainer: how neoliberalism became an insult in Australian politics
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478031/original/file-20220808-14-5nypo4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C23%2C7935%2C5242&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Dan Himbrechts/AAP</span> </figcaption></figure><p>The much-debated term “neoliberalism” again entered the political debate last week, with Greens leader Adam Bandt using a National Press Club speech to decry neoliberalism in the Labor Party. </p>
<p>Bandt <a href="https://iview.abc.net.au/video/NC2211C027S00">claimed</a> that since the Keating and Hawke governments, Labor has adopted neoliberalism by “privatising public services, cutting taxes for the wealthy and adopting more austerity”. Keating <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/bandt-is-a-bounder-keating-fires-up-in-climate-wars-as-greens-back-albanese-bill-20220803-p5b6y1.html">hit back</a>, calling Bandt “a bounder and distorter of political truth”, angrily rejecting suggestions that Medicare and compulsory superannuation could be related to “conservative neoliberalism”. </p>
<h2>Neoliberalism as insult</h2>
<p>Bandt’s speech reflects a more general trend in which “neoliberalism” is used as an insult or political swearword. Even in academic debates, the usefulness of the term has been questioned, with recent articles describing neoliberalism as “<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12116-009-9040-5">a conceptual trash heap</a>”, “<a href="https://rai.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-9655.12294">hopelessly confused</a>” and “so baggy and unclear that it <a href="https://rai.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-9655.12294">means almost nothing</a>”. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/was-embracing-the-market-a-necessary-evil-for-labour-and-labor-81612">Was embracing the market a necessary evil for Labour and Labor?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>However, that does not mean it should be abandoned altogether. Many key political terms such as democracy, populism and justice also contain competing and sometimes contradictory meanings. In arriving at a working definition of neoliberalism, it is helpful to consult the writings of those who developed the body of thought. </p>
<h2>Origins and definition</h2>
<p>Most scholars agree the origins of neoliberalism can be traced to the <a href="https://www.montpelerin.org/event/429dba23-fc64-4838-aea3-b847011022a4/websitePage:d0c34bd9-1aa4-48df-a55e-4be50dfb57ee">Mont Pelerin Society</a>, an academic organisation founded in 1947 by Austrian–British economist and philosopher Friedrich von Hayek. The group counted among its members leading neoliberal thinkers such as Milton Friedman, Ludwig von Mises, and James Buchanan.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477991/original/file-20220808-13-so3g8w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477991/original/file-20220808-13-so3g8w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477991/original/file-20220808-13-so3g8w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477991/original/file-20220808-13-so3g8w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477991/original/file-20220808-13-so3g8w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477991/original/file-20220808-13-so3g8w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477991/original/file-20220808-13-so3g8w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477991/original/file-20220808-13-so3g8w.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Economist Friedrich von Hayek, founder of the Mont Pelerin Society, June 1975.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>Contrary to the popular caricature of neoliberalism as a free market, anti-state ideology, these early neoliberal thinkers developed a political and economic philosophy that attempted to combine governments and markets. </p>
<p>Where the classical liberals of the 19th century favoured a non-interventionist, <em>laissez-faire</em> approach to economic policy, the key aim of neoliberalism was to recognise that functioning markets must be actively created and maintained by an interventionist state. Neoliberal thinkers argued the chief role of government was to create and enforce the rules of the marketplace.</p>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/partially-right-rejecting-neoliberalism-shouldnt-mean-giving-up-on-social-liberalism-98386">Partially right: rejecting neoliberalism shouldn't mean giving up on social liberalism</a>
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<p>The ideas of the Mont Pelerin Society entered the political mainstream most prominently in the 1980s under the governments of Margaret Thatcher in the UK and Ronald Reagan in the US. Their policies included privatisation of government owned industries, extensive tax cuts, and creating more “flexible” labour markets by restricting the power of trade unions.</p>
<h2>A mixed bag in Australia</h2>
<p>In Australia, many of the key reforms of the Hawke-Keating government utilised neoliberal logic to mixed results. For instance, Keating’s signature compulsory superannuation policy replaced the universal pension with a market-oriented system of private savings, allowing workers to gain a share of rising profits on the stock market. </p>
<p>But the system also exposed workers to market downturns. This was most evident during the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, when losses of A$160 billion forced many older Australians to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0312896212450041">postpone retirement</a> or even return to work. </p>
<p>The superannuation system also reinforces the gender pay gap. Men hold on average <a href="https://www.australiansuper.com/-/media/australian-super/files/campaigns/future-women/the-future-face-of-poverty-is-female.pdf">42% more in superannuation</a> savings than women, significantly increasing vulnerability to poverty for older women. Keating was also responsible for repeated privatisations, including the sales of Qantas and the Commonwealth Bank, and broader deregulation of the financial sector which further expanded the scope of the market. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-neoliberalism-a-political-scientist-explains-the-use-and-evolution-of-the-term-184711">What is neoliberalism? A political scientist explains the use and evolution of the term</a>
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<p>But the Hawke-Keating government was not entirely neoliberal, most notably in its expansion of Medicare. Their relationship with <a href="https://brill.com/view/title/35076">trade unions</a> was also different from the combative stance adopted by Thatcher and Reagan in their countries. </p>
<h2>Australian legacy</h2>
<p>Taken together, the legacy of these different reforms is complex. However, the Hawke-Keating government was clearly guided by a neoliberal desire to expand the scope of the market. </p>
<p>Neoliberalism in Australia would intensify under Coalition government of John Howard – a card-carrying member of the Mont Pelerin Society and prime minister from 1996 to 2007. He did this through <a href="http://speri.dept.shef.ac.uk/2017/06/05/the-great-australian-neoliberal-experiment/">continued</a> privatisation of state assets and deregulation of the financial sector. </p>
<p>Early indications suggest the current Labor government is likely to maintain some market-oriented policies. The refusal to increase JobSeeker payments for unemployed Australians is guided by a neoliberal belief that individuals should attain their basic needs through the market. </p>
<p>And while the exact details of how the government intends to meet its <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-03/labor-announces-2030-emissions-reductions-target/100671512">2030 emissions reduction target</a> are still forthcoming, a market-based approach again seems likely. </p>
<p>Though some may recoil at the neoliberal label they associate primarily with the political right, recent history suggests the neoliberal system has been and will likely remain a bipartisan standard in Australia.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188291/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Henry Maher does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Neoliberal is used as an insult in political circles, but in Australia, the philosophy is often used with mixed results by both parties
Henry Maher, Lecturer in Politics, Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/188058
2022-08-04T20:20:27Z
2022-08-04T20:20:27Z
Why Papua New Guinea urgently needs to elect more women to parliament
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477572/original/file-20220804-16-lwijnw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rob Griffith/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Counting is still underway following Papua New Guinea’s national elections, and there is still some hope that at least one woman might be elected to the country’s 118-seat parliament. At this point, <a href="https://pngwoman.com/about-me">Kessy Sawang</a> may yet emerge as the winner in the Rai Coast electorate in Madang province. However, the overall picture is very disappointing. There were only 167 women out of more than 3000 candidates, and as its current term nears the end, PNG’s parliament is <a href="https://data.ipu.org/women-ranking?month=1&year=2022">at the bottom of global rankings for female representation</a>, with no women at all among its membership.</p>
<p>Things have been marginally better at some points in the past. Three women were elected in 2012, but Papua New Guineans have only sent <a href="https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/future-female-png">seven women</a> to their national parliament since the country achieved independence in 1975.</p>
<h2>Why increased representation matters</h2>
<p>The case for more women in PNG’s legislature is clear. A parliament that includes women is more likely to do something about the unacceptable conditions faced by many women across the country. </p>
<p>Women’s rights are severely restricted by poverty, poor access to education and health care, and patriarchal cultural practices. Gender based violence (GBV) is a serious problem and is generally under-reported. PNG is ranked 161 out of 162 countries on the <a href="https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/thematic-composite-indices/gender-inequality-index#/indicies/GII">United Nations gender inequality index.</a></p>
<p>Research also confirms that electing more women to public office strengthens democratic institutions and improves both the quality of government spending and the overall health of the national population.</p>
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<p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-more-women-in-government-the-healthier-a-population-107075">The more women in government, the healthier a population</a>
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<p>And let’s face it - the men running PNG aren’t doing very well. Administrative weakness and corruption are serious challenges, <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/png/publication/papua-new-guinea-dealing-with-a-triple-crisis">and the economy is in bad shape</a>. Health and education services are woefully inadequate for the country’s rapidly growing population, and <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/leading-causes-of-death-in-papua-new-guinea.html">people are dying in significant numbers from preventable diseases</a>. The nation desperately needs a more thoughtful, mature approach from its elected leaders. </p>
<p>Efforts over time to address the huge gender imbalance in the national parliament have centred on advocacy for “<a href="https://pngnri.org/index.php/blog/113-we-need-temporary-special-measure-to-address-women-representation-in-png-parliament">temporary special measures</a>” to boost women’s participation such as introducing reserved seats for a limited but undefined period. The rationale is to help build a base on which women’s representation can win acceptance and begin to be “normalised”, and for these measures to be withdrawn when the playing field levels out.</p>
<h2>Women in PNG are leading the way</h2>
<p>The UN, Australia and other donors have worked in the background to support this advocacy, with PNG women leading the way. External partners are anxious to avoid a perception that these are <a href="https://devpolicy.org/temporary-special-measures-in-png-part-two-latest-developments-20210812/">“foreign” ideas</a> being pushed on PNG’s traditional society. They tend to <a href="https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/business-opportunities/business-notifications/png-women-lead-program">combine this support with programs</a> that address other challenges for women, such as combating GBV, education, and supporting economic empowerment. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477568/original/file-20220804-10782-u506tl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477568/original/file-20220804-10782-u506tl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477568/original/file-20220804-10782-u506tl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477568/original/file-20220804-10782-u506tl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477568/original/file-20220804-10782-u506tl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477568/original/file-20220804-10782-u506tl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477568/original/file-20220804-10782-u506tl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477568/original/file-20220804-10782-u506tl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Dame Carol Kidu in PNG, 2005.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP</span></span>
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<p>There have been moments of hope in PNG’s recent history. Dame Carol Kidu, the only woman in parliament between 2007 and 2012, drove a strong <a href="https://devpolicy.org/temporary-special-measures-in-png-part-one-the-story-up-to-2019-20210810/">campaign to establish 22 reserved seats for women</a> – one for each of the country’s provinces. This proposal won the backing of then Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, which parliament voted to support in the December 2011 Equality and Participation Act. </p>
<p>But by the time the required enabling legislation came to parliament the following year, misgivings had grown about this challenge to male dominance, and it was voted down. </p>
<p>There have been other moments when a breakthrough seemed possible. In 2019 a special parliamentary committee recommended the establishment of <a href="https://devpolicy.org/temporary-special-measures-in-png-part-two-latest-developments-20210812/">five reserved seats</a>, but Prime Minister James Marape decided the focus should be on supporting and encouraging women to engage in the existing, “open” electoral process. The political will to make systemic changes remains elusive.</p>
<h2>Areas of success</h2>
<p>The women of PNG can look internationally for success stories. In 2003, Rwanda reserved 24 out of 80 seats in the Chamber of Deputies for women; today, more than 60% of its members are women. </p>
<p>In Samoa, a <a href="https://www.policyforum.net/gender-quotas-and-the-2021-samoan-constitutional-crisis/">provision in the national constitution</a>, inserted in 2013, holds that at least 10% of the parliament should be women. Arguments over the interpretation of this clause did not, in the end, prevent Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa from becoming her country’s first female prime minister last year. </p>
<p>And New Caledonia is covered by the <a href="https://researchers.cdu.edu.au/en/publications/the-law-on-gender-parity-in-politics-in-france-and-new-caledonia-">French constitutional requirement</a>, passed in 1999, that women must constitute fifty percent of the candidacy lists for certain legislative and executive posts.</p>
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<p>
<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-case-for-quotas-in-politics-the-absence-of-women-isnt-merit-based-45297">The case for quotas in politics: the absence of women isn't merit-based</a>
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<p>Papua New Guineans don’t even need to look that far for inspiration. There are <a href="https://bellschool.anu.edu.au/experts-publications/publications/1607/womens-representation-and-use-reserved-seats-bougainville">three reserved seats</a> for women in the 39-member regional parliament of PNG’s autonomous region of Bougainville. Some may argue Bougainville’s culture is different from the rest of PNG, but a key factor was that Bougainvillean men came to recognise the <a href="https://www.peacewomen.org/node/89897">contribution</a> women made to end the region’s bloody civil war. </p>
<p>Some Papua New Guineans have expressed concerns that these reserved Bougainvillean seats would prove to be a ceiling, rather than a floor, for women’s participation. In fact, several women have lined up to contest “open” seats in the parliament, and so far, two of them have overcome a field of men to win these contests. One of them, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theonila_Roka_Matbob">Theonila Matbob</a>, is the region’s education minister today. </p>
<p>It may not sound like much, but it is better than PNG’s national parliament has managed in recent years.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188058/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Kemish AM is a former Australian diplomat who served, among other roles, as Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea from 2010 to 2013. He chairs the Kokoda Track Foundation, which receives Australian Government support for its work in PNG, and is the Pacific representative for the Global Partnership for Education. He is a nonresident fellow with the Lowy Institute, and represents Bower Group Asia in the region</span></em></p>
Women candidates in PNG often lack support and funding, but increasing women’s political participation could lead to more equality and greater democracy
Ian Kemish AM, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/187991
2022-08-02T23:44:30Z
2022-08-02T23:44:30Z
The fix is in: how to restore public faith in government appointments
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477069/original/file-20220802-12-qfczza.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption"></span> </figcaption></figure><p>The question of how to restore integrity to public institutions is on the minds of many government officials right now, both on the local and international stage.</p>
<p>Handpicked political appointments to public institutions in Australia, such as the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), and most recently the selection of John Barilaro for the NSW government’s New York-based <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/documents-reveal-selection-report-edited-to-make-barilaro-first-choice-for-trade-job-20220801-p5b65c.html">trade commissioner</a>, have come under fire. Critics say theses appointments compromise the perception of the bodies’ independence and reduce public confidence in the ability of the appointees to perform their roles.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-the-challenge-of-grey-corruption-and-creating-a-culture-of-integrity-187375">View from The Hill: The challenge of 'grey' corruption and creating a culture of integrity</a>
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<h2>‘Jobs to mates’</h2>
<p>Giving “jobs to mates” is an age-old political concept, if one that rarely benefits an institution or those under its protection. A recent <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/new-politics-public-appointments/">report</a> from the Grattan Institute highlighted the often poor performance of political appointees, noting that almost a quarter of the political appointees at the AAT failed to meet their performance targets.</p>
<p>This might sound like a procedural issue, but the AAT is a public institution that conducts reviews of Commonwealth law and makes <a href="https://www.aat.gov.au/about-the-aat/learn-more/what-type-of-decisions-can-the-aat-make">decisions</a> that affect our daily lives. Don’t we want experts making these decisions rather than someone who has made a huge donation or is politically connected to the government that appointed them?</p>
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<p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-a-simple-way-to-stop-governments-giving-jobs-to-mates-186816">Here’s a simple way to stop governments giving jobs to mates</a>
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<p>Politicising public appointments promotes distrust, can compromise performance, and encourages a corrupt culture that prioritises mateship over merit.</p>
<h2>Global relevance</h2>
<p>On the global stage, the same concerns arise. Respected institutions such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) are coming under <a href="https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/ngos-call-on-un-secretary-general-to-hold-transparent-merit-based-consultative-process-to-pick-next-un-high-commissioner/">pressure</a> from NGOs and human rights practitioners to appoint experts, not political mates, to restore credibility to the world’s most prominent human rights organisation.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477064/original/file-20220802-20-9oy7yj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477064/original/file-20220802-20-9oy7yj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477064/original/file-20220802-20-9oy7yj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477064/original/file-20220802-20-9oy7yj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477064/original/file-20220802-20-9oy7yj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477064/original/file-20220802-20-9oy7yj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477064/original/file-20220802-20-9oy7yj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477064/original/file-20220802-20-9oy7yj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Current UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, will step down later this month.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP</span></span>
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<p>At the UN, the process has recently begun to appoint the next United Nations Human Rights Commissioner – the world’s most senior human rights figure. The vacancy was caused by the unexpected resignation of current commissioner, Michelle Bachelet following her controversial May 2022 visit to China. </p>
<p>On that trip, she was accused of being a pawn in the Chinese government’s efforts to downplay the human rights crisis in Xinjiang and their persecution of the Uyghur population. Her visit was widely critiqued as severely damaging to the <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2022/06/the-steep-cost-of-bachelets-visit-to-china/">credibility of the UN human rights office</a>.</p>
<p>Too often the human rights commissioner role is filled by political appointees, rewarding diplomats or government staff. The recent pressure by human rights organisations <a href="https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/ngos-call-on-un-secretary-general-to-hold-transparent-merit-based-consultative-process-to-pick-next-un-high-commissioner/">calls</a> for the post to be filled by “someone of high moral standing and personal integrity, and who is independent and impartial and possesses competency and expertise in the field of human rights”. </p>
<p>In other words, these groups want a commissioner who is able to improve the UN’s human rights arm’s credibility. </p>
<h2>The way forward</h2>
<p>Last week, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus introduced a <a href="https://ministers.ag.gov.au/media-centre/speeches/australian-human-rights-commission-legislation-amendment-selection-and-appointment-bill-2022-27-07-2022">bill</a> in parliament that would require senior leadership appointments at the AHRC to be publicly advertised, merit-based, and limited to a maximum of seven years. One may have assumed such efforts at transparency were already in place, but no.</p>
<p>Many recent appointments have been made without an open, merit-based process. These include the 2021 selection of Lorraine Finlay by the Morrison government as Human Rights Commissioner, the 2019 selection of Ben Gauntlett as the Disability Discrimination Commissioner, and the 2013 appointment of Tim Wilson as Human Rights Commissioner. </p>
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<p>
<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-a-rating-on-human-rights-is-under-threat-with-a-handpicked-politically-engineered-commissioner-167626">Australia's 'A' rating on human rights is under threat with a handpicked, politically engineered commissioner</a>
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<p>This bill is a welcome and <a href="https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/news/independence-australian-human-rights-commission-vital-proposed-law-welcomed">essential</a> step towards restoring the AHRC’s credibility and that of other public institutions. However, an open process that promotes transparent, merit-based selection across all political institutions is also necessary to improve public faith. </p>
<p>As the Albanese government considers creating a <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-has-labor-promised-on-an-integrity-commission-and-can-it-deliver-a-federal-icac-by-christmas-182945">national integrity commission</a>, it should also establish a transparent, standardised process for overseeing public appointments, including establishing a national public appointments commissioner.</p>
<p>One of the greatest challenges for governments and the public institutions they create is often not the process of lawmaking but implementation of those laws. This makes integrity and transparency in public appointments vital. Without them, these bodies operate much less independently and are less likely to put the interests of the public first.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187991/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Justine Nolan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Experts, and not those with deep pockets or connections, should be charged with making the decisions that affect us all
Justine Nolan, Professor of Law and Justice and Director of the Australian Human Rights Institute, UNSW Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/186364
2022-07-05T14:19:07Z
2022-07-05T14:19:07Z
UK strikes: six milestones in the history of industrial action in Britain
<p>Holidaymakers and commuters are expecting significant disruption this summer following a recent <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/strikes-cripple-britains-railways-unions-warn-more-come-2022-06-23/">surge in strike action</a> in the UK and Europe. UK train drivers are the latest group to consider striking in what could be the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/07/05/ftse-100-markets-live-news-flight-cancellations-nuclear-power/">first national rail strike</a> in more than 25 years</p>
<p>Strikes – a withdrawal of labour from employers – have been happening ever since the workers at the Royal Necropolis at Deir el-Medina in Egypt <a href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-recorded-strike#:%7E:text=The%20first%20recorded%20strike%20in,that%20dates%20from%20that%20time.">organised an uprising</a> in 1152 BC over <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1089/the-first-labor-strike-in-history/">late wages</a>. British industrial action has a much shorter, but still turbulent, history that has often been fuelled by changing economic conditions. </p>
<p>Workers today face <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61891649">high inflation</a> and government reluctance to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61874732">raise public sector wages</a>, combined with the ongoing economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/fifteen-years-of-stagnant-incomes-left-british-families-brutally-exposed-to-cost-of-living-crisis-12645557">cost of living</a> crisis. With continued industrial action very likely in the months ahead. </p>
<p>Here are some major milestones in the history of UK strike action to date:</p>
<h2>1. Pre-20th century: law both restricts and supports union activity</h2>
<p>In Britain, <a href="http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/3042/">documented strike action</a> started in the 17th century, when groups of skilled workers used brief periods of industrial action to get better conditions of work and pay. During the 18th century, various pieces of <a href="https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/citizenship/struggle_democracy/trade_unionism.htm#:%7E:text=part%20of%20workers.-,The%20Combination%20Acts,-%2C%20passed%20in%201799">legislation</a> made strikes illegal. </p>
<p>But when the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/trade-union#ref270634:%7E:text=for%20their%20workers.-,Legal%20precedents,-British%20unionism%20received">Trade Union Act of 1871</a> allowed trade unions to become legal bodies, a flurry of industrial activity occurred in industries such as <a href="https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/ab1c7f37-0f40-3af6-86de-f87445a955e8?component=d955a0bd-83e4-3329-aa29-19bf4f429981">coal mining</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/0078172X13Z.00000000031?journalCode=ynhi20">textiles</a>, as new unions fought for better conditions.</p>
<h2>2. Post-WWI: economic decline leads to demands for better pay</h2>
<p>Following a lull during the first world war, <a href="http://www.unionhistory.info/timeline/1918_1939.php">industrial action intensified</a> in the 1920s as employers tried to reduce wages amid much post-war economic and political change. Nearly 8 million days’ work were <a href="http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/3051/">lost to strikes</a> in 1925, rising to 162 million lost days in 1926 when 1.7 million workers went on strike in support of a million miners. </p>
<p>Miners’ refusal to accept a 10% wage reduction that year, for example, led to a nine-day <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/thehistoryofstrikesintheuk/2015-09-21">general strike</a> in support of the locked out miners in May. During a general strike, the Trades Union Congress – a group representing the majority of unions in England and Wales – asks members of different unions to strike in support of affected workers.</p>
<p><strong>Working days lost to strike action, UK (1931-2020)</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472558/original/file-20220705-14-d4b58a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graph showing total working days lost to strikes in the UK 1931-2020" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472558/original/file-20220705-14-d4b58a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472558/original/file-20220705-14-d4b58a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472558/original/file-20220705-14-d4b58a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472558/original/file-20220705-14-d4b58a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472558/original/file-20220705-14-d4b58a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472558/original/file-20220705-14-d4b58a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472558/original/file-20220705-14-d4b58a.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Total working days lost to strikes in the UK, 1931-2020 (000s)</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/timeseries/bbfw/lms">Office of National Statistics</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Post WWII: governments struggle to tame union power</h2>
<p>Levels of strike activity in Britain fell again in the 1930s, but picked up significantly after the second world war. At this time, the majority of strikes – about <a href="http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/3042/">2,000 per year</a> – were unofficial, or not supported by trade unions. This prompted <a href="https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers/themes/industrial-unrest.htm">government</a> <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/41837392">calls for</a> greater union accountability, a cooling-off period before strikes, as well as ballots – or votes – on strikes. </p>
<p>The unions’ rejection of these suggestions led to further industrial conflict, including <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/history/past-prime-ministers/edward-heath#:%7E:text=crippling%20were%20the-,miners%E2%80%99%20strikes,-of%201972%20and">two coal miners’ strikes</a> under Edward Heath’s 1970-1974 Conservative government. The strikes led to power cuts across the country and then an enforced three-day working week to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/gallery/2009/apr/16/past-conservatives">curb electricity use</a> as the striking coal miners forced the government to ration dwindling fuel supplies.</p>
<h2>4. 1970s: the failed social contract and the Winter of Discontent</h2>
<p>Harold Wilson’s Labour Party came to power in the 1974 general election and suggested a “<a href="https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers/themes/miners-strike-social-contract.htm#:%7E:text=Labour%27s%20Social%20Contract">social contract</a>” with unions where they would curb wage demands in return for nationalisation and increased spending on social welfare. The government failed to deliver upon this agreement, however, and trade unions began to demand substantial wage rises to ensure members’ pay kept up with the high inflation of the late 1970s.</p>
<p>An effort by Ford factory workers to gain a 25% weekly raise in August 1978, for example, triggered nine weeks of strikes and was settled with a 16.5% wage increase. This kicked off a a period now known as the <a href="https://blogs.londonmet.ac.uk/tuc-library/2016/05/12/winter-of-discontent-part-2/">Winter of Discontent</a>. The following January, 20,000 railway workers held four one-day strikes over the course of the month. About 1.3 million municipal workers also called a one-day <a href="http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/3042/">national strike</a> for pay increases on January 22 1979.</p>
<p>The strikers were increasingly vilified by politicians and the media during this time. For example, a comment made by a councillor about the possibility of “<a href="http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/3042/">burials at sea</a>” due to a strike by Merseyside grave diggers in 1978 and 1979 saw trade unions publicly criticised for their lack of sympathy for the bereaved. Similarly, conservative politicians criticised the Labour government over a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/22/newsid_2506000/2506715.stm">January 1979</a> public sector strike that included refuse collectors and resulted in <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/22/newsid_2506000/2506715.stm">rubbish piled high</a> on the streets of central London. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472550/original/file-20220705-13-j0an4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472550/original/file-20220705-13-j0an4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472550/original/file-20220705-13-j0an4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472550/original/file-20220705-13-j0an4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472550/original/file-20220705-13-j0an4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472550/original/file-20220705-13-j0an4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472550/original/file-20220705-13-j0an4w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher did much to curb trade union activity following her election in 1979.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>5. 1980s: the rise of Thatcherism and the decline of union power</h2>
<p>The election of Margaret Thatcher as Conservative prime minister in May 1979, signalled the start of a period of major restrictions on trade union power. Five <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-27607-3_10?noAccess=true">employment acts</a> and one <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/49/enacted">Trade Union Act</a> were introduced between the start of Thatcher’s two terms and the end of John Major’s Conservative government in 1997. These laws restricted the right of picketing, prevented unions bringing their members out in support of other unions and introduced fines and asset seizures for unions that struck without a ballot. </p>
<p>Some of this legislation was tested in another <a href="https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/features/mar04.shtml">miners’ strike</a> that lasted from 1984 into 1985. After a proposed 5.2% wage increase was rejected by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in October 1983, the National Coal Board (the UK corporation created to run nationalised coal mines) threatened to reduce output and was rumoured to have drawn up a list of pit closures. </p>
<p>An unballoted strike erupted on March 9 1984, which lasted for nearly a year. It progressed into a national strike as NUM leader <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/23/arthur-scargill-joins-rail-picket-line-sheffield-strike">Arthur Scargill</a> sent “flying pickets” – striking union members – to different picket lines around the country by car and coach. Mass picketing led to violent clashes and even deaths. There were also several legal twists and turns as the High Court fined the NUM <a href="https://apnews.com/article/21bff1746bb861656292ae2d5255b217#:%7E:text=is%20called%20off.-,Oct.%2010,-%2D%20The%20National%20Union">£200,000</a> and seized its assets because it had not called an official strike by ballot.</p>
<p>The strike ended without any settlement when the miners <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fromthearchive/story/0,,1429566,00.html">returned to work</a> without agreement on March 3 1985. After a year without pay, they had effectively been starved into submission.</p>
<h2>6. Present day: A return to the 1970s?</h2>
<p>Trade union power and activism has steadily declined since the turbulence of the 1980s. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/trade-union-statistics-2020">Membership</a> had grown from 4 million in 1914 to a peak of 13.2 million in 1979, but has since halved to about 6.5 million people. </p>
<p>The number of days lost to strikes in recent years is typically little more than one million, with the highest annual total of working days lost in one year <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/workplacedisputesandworkingconditions/articles/labourdisputes/2018#:%7E:text=by%20coal%20miners-,Since%202000,-%2C%20the%20highest%20annual">since 2000</a> was 1.4 million in 2011.</p>
<p>But industrial action is stirring again. As <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/18/rail-and-tube-strikes-to-go-ahead-next-week-rmt-union-confirms">transport</a> workers, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62009941">barristers</a> and <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2022/07/01/travel-summer-holidays-under-threat-from-airline-strikes-across-europe-16929191/">airline staff</a> have all called strike action in recent weeks, this figure may well be exceeded in 2022.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186364/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Keith Laybourn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Strikes are happening across various UK industries at the moment, but what is the history of strike action in UK?
Keith Laybourn, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Huddersfield
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.