In February 2014 I asked two eminent political leaders on ABC TV’s Q &A program: “Where is the vision for Australia in the future?” My concerns and views behind this question are expressed below:
Australia is a big country that needs big ideas and tough leadership to carve our future in a global environment that seems focused totally on supplying resources and job opportunities to the emerging super-economies of China and India.
For our nation to continue to prosper and for future generations to have the opportunities and rewards that Australians have experienced in the past requires Vision. This Vision must come from our political leadership.
We can do it!! We’ve done it in the past!! We can do it in the future!!
It has been many decades since the our monuments to greatness – the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme; Sydney Harbour Bridge, Ord River Irrigation Scheme, Sydney Opera House – have testified to the world Australia has a nation-building mission.
I see in our new Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, real opportunities to reignite the Aussie greatness of decades past. The PM is pushing ahead for a second Sydney Airport that has the welcome support of the Labor Opposition both in our Federal and NSW parliaments. Tony Abbott also sees the potential in bringing water from the north to supply our drought-affected agricultural lands and to open up new farming opportunities to supply food to an ever-expanding world population.
Our resource-rich land gives us another massive opportunity. Australia has one of the world’s largest known supplies of uranium deposits that with the right intent could safely, efficiently and in an environmentally safe way, supply a national energy grid domestically and to industry that would help make it more competitive.
A big vision of nation-building is needed now to create new opportunities for future generations, and to arrest the decline in local industry (which is a symptom of global economic conditions, not the political environment).
It’s time for all political leaders to lead. It’s time for politicians to think about future generations of Australians – not the next election. It’s time to stand strong against vested interests and ill-informed media commentary. It’s time for a ‘Vision of National-Building’ that characterised the Australia greatness of decades past.
My recent question about “Where is the Vision” on ABC’s Q and A can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A3MIi9JOD0&list=UUvy9bjqfawiaE_CklFSdnzg&feature=c4-overview