John Hewson

“Australia is in the enviable position of not having to choose between the US and China. We can and should have effective relationships with each, both to our benefit and to the global benefit.”

“It is time we stop pretending the overwhelming ‘No’ vote at the referendum wasn’t fanned by racism, underlying all the lies and misrepresentation. This is not to say all those who voted ‘No’ were racists. Rather, it is increasingly clear racism …”

“Writing this, in the sorrowful days after the referendum, I am concerned the things that make me feel regretful about our politics and public policy are not so much in the past but in the future.”

“While there was consensus on how to create a more inclusive society for people with disability, the commissioners in the comprehensive inquiry that wrapped up last month were seriously divided on key recommendations. And that means despite the government’s …”

“The White Australia policy stands out as probably the most significant blemish on this country’s national character and unity, as well as its global reputation, with continuing consequences today. It has been said that latent racism, carrying echoes …”

“The employment white paper released by the Albanese government this week is a vast improvement in professionalism and substance on the previous government’s three-word slogan – ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ – which offered …”

“Among the various pressures pushing up our cost of living, one that is often overlooked is the exchange rate, or the value of Australia’s dollar relative to other currencies. Our currency is usually quoted against either the United States dollar, …”

“Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is finalising a trip to China in early November … The timing offers an excellent opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Gough Whitlam’s historic diplomatic visit to China – the first for …”

“The word ‘woke’ has taken on too much negative connotation in our political debate. It has become a derisive term to disparage and effectively dismiss virtually any position that doesn’t accord with the extreme conservative, hardline …”

“Most governments don’t think, plan and manage with a view to the longer term – but Treasurer Jim Chalmers has claimed the latest intergenerational report is the basis for action. These reports, typically published every five years to provide …”

“The phenomenon of the Matildas clearly caught our political leaders off guard, leading to a series of attempts to clamber on, if not capitalise on, the bandwagon. Their ascendance in the competition launched an auction between the national leaders, with …”

“As someone who has long advocated for relying on market forces whenever possible, it pains me to recognise that market failure has been a major feature of the emerging housing crisis. The failure is apparent in the context of a long-term shift by both …”

“Certain branches of the media have sought to reduce the Voice to a left/right issue, throwing around terms such as ‘woke’ and ‘political correctness’. This is ridiculous. It is not a question of ideology, it’s a question of doing what’s right …”

“It is with mounting despair that I note several mega threats to our planet and to humanity seem to be simultaneously gathering considerable momentum, yet governments and policy authorities are simply ignoring the severity and urgency of the challenges.”

“When I became leader of the opposition there was endless advice by some of the ‘old guard’ about how I should operate. The basic principle was that you should see no good in the other side, not in the people nor in their policy prescriptions …”

“Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was desperate to claim a ‘win’ in the Fadden byelection. This was evident in a number of ways – most conspicuously, the negativity of his behaviour in the days leading up to the vote, his focus on …”

“The Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme has identified appalling dishonesty and lapses in government processes that had serious consequences for the innocent, and their families, who were hounded for non-payment of fictitious ‘debts’.”

“Coalition strategists have tended to assume that an ageing population is to their advantage, electorally. It is obviously a factor behind their support for Peter Dutton and his strategy to drag the Coalition to extremely conservative policy settings, …”

“As in politics, truth – or a lack of it – in advertising has been a much-debated topic. It seems that the chasm between truth and marketing gimmickry has never been so wide.”

“Australia’s growth outlook is more uncertain than ever, with recession drawing closer. The economy expanded just 0.2 per cent in the first three months of this year, and this week New Zealand declared that its economy is officially contracting.”

“In less than two weeks the new National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) will be officially in operation – the long-awaited answer to a defining issue of the last federal election.”

“Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s speech in Singapore last week deserves more attention. Not only was it his first major foreign policy statement on the global stage, it was a profound and nuanced expression of the challenges Australia faces in balancing …”

“While the struggle to curb inflation has drawn a lot of attention, one of the most pressing economic challenges facing the government has been widely ignored: the collapse in productivity.”

“There is a legitimate concern that Australians have become addicted to debt. I grew up in a household where my father would do anything to avoid incurring debt. Any number of scabby shortcuts leap to mind – we always repaired our own shoes, specialised …”

“Australia’s greatest post-World War II success may well be our establishment of an effective and tolerant, multicultural, multiethnic and multireligious society that is in many respects the envy of the world. A well-maintained immigration program …”

“Assuming Treasurer Jim Chalmers actually delivers the budget he announced on May 9, it should put to rest the myth proclaimed endlessly – without evidence – by the opposition that the Coalition is a better economic manager.”

“If the world is to avoid catastrophic climate change, a complete transition away from fossil fuels is inevitable. So it stands to reason that shareholders and investors in fossil fuel companies should pressure boards and management to address this inevitability.”

“The public’s expectations for the review of the Reserve Bank were high. Some hoped it would mean an end to crippling interest rate rises. Others saw the prospect of staff and board members being held accountable for the false and misleading …”

“The latest news of the growing aged-care emergency, with the closures of three more homes in Sydney by Wesley Mission, has been written up as a ‘shock’ announcement and attributed to ‘workplace pressures’ imposed by the …”

“This growing willingness to write off the Liberal Party is a sign of something dangerous. It’s fair to dismiss the party as out of touch after resounding defeats in the federal election and more recently in the Aston byelection. But these failures, …”

“What happened in Aston is simple … The voters of Aston endorsed the positive agenda of the Albanese government against the vagueness and negativity of the Dutton strategy. Mary Doyle achieved a historic win in what the Liberals had basically taken for …”

“The global drift towards a recession with entrenched inflation was quite enough for central banks and governments to grapple with. Now add to that concerns about the stability of the financial system.”

“The bottom line of the AUKUS deal is that it locks us into the US military strategy even further, to the point where if the US again does something stupid, such as to support Taiwan in a military confrontation with China, it would be likely that we would …”

“The senate review of our corporate watchdog’s handling of white-collar crime is yet to hit its straps, but already the incompetence and lack of professionalism of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission is being laid bare.”

“Budget repair is the major fiscal policy challenge the Albanese government faces right now. Although it has committed to expenditure savings, such efforts are unlikely to be sufficient to do much to repair the structural deficit. That means the net burden …”

“Australia has reached a pivotal point. There is very strong and increasing demand for government to provide a wide range of services, support and policy frameworks, coming to a head at a time when the federal budget already has a $37 billion hole and …”

“It is indicative of how backwards we have become that some in the Coalition are still promoting a new coal-fired power plant for north Queensland, even though there is no net demand for power in the region, even though major international banks won’t …”

“The issues of sustainability and the environmental and social impacts of their activities are certainly now on the agendas of most businesses, and corporate boards are having to lift their game to recognise these longer-term responsibilities.”

“We should accept that a recession, even a mild one, is the route the RBA may be heading down, given the risk that it mirrors its delayed action on raising interest rates, by moving too slowly to cut.”

“Treasurer Jim Chalmers has written an excellent, thought-provoking essay in the latest edition of The Monthly. It attempts to set his budgetary process, which he began last October and will advance in May, against the background of recent crises …”

“Although Australian governments have set ambitious targets for recycling – overall 80 per cent of waste is to be recycled by 2030 – we are transitioning slower than other global players and, at 60 per cent overall recycling, are falling off the pace …”

“The debacle that played out in the United States house of representatives over the new year provided more than just a window into the dysfunction of a political system hijacked by the far right. For me, it raised a fundamental question that is relevant …”

“Risks to the economy are mounting at such a rate that the challenge they present to our economic managers in 2023 may well overshadow even the shocks of the pandemic-related shutdowns and the global financial crisis.”

“With the Albanese government having moved so quickly and decisively on a number of major policy fronts since it was elected in May, next year is shaping up as one of consolidation, to demonstrate the substance of what has been achieved.”

“This is not an issue of loyalty. Morrison showed none and has no right to expect any.”

“A recent poll suggested as many as two-thirds of Australians think the pandemic is over. This is far from true. A false impression has been created, as a result of poor messaging by governments and health officials and the progressive relaxation …”

“Opposition to the Voice to Parliament is beginning to emerge from Liberal Party ranks, and some of it is disturbingly ugly. Former Liberal prime minister John Howard said that it would be unwise and a political mistake for the Coalition parties to …”

“As the fourth-richest country in the world – on average – we should all be more concerned about a recent study showing that more than one in eight people live below the poverty line in Australia. The ACOSS/UNSW Sydney data counted as many …”

“As the weeks roll by, it’s becoming easier to believe that the inflation task is slipping away from the government and central bank authorities. Inflation numbers have already exceeded predictions, even after seven consecutive increases in the cash …”

“It’s a disturbing feature of our leadership over the past several years that major policy challenges have been allowed to drift, despite all evidence of their magnitude and urgency. This drift has been an important factor in the loss of trust in government, …”

“It is accepted in some circles that you can’t boil cabbage twice. Yet apparently this thinking doesn’t apply to recycling political leaders – or rehashing their worst ideas – irrespective of how hopeless they have been in government and of the …”

“Reports this week alleging that doctors had made false claims totalling as much as one third of Medicare’s annual budget has pointed to more than just potentially significant weaknesses in the Medicare system. It has again highlighted the impact …”

“As the world reassesses its reliance on so-called neoliberal economics, and particularly its faith in market forces, it is important to recognise that the effectiveness of those forces depends on their surrounding regulatory frameworks.”

“As the nation battled the pandemic, one of the most conscientious commitments of the Morrison government was its extensive support, including provision of a RAAF plane, for Mathias Cormann’s campaign to become secretary-general of the Organisation for …”

“The appalling allegations of racist behaviour towards Indigenous players at the Hawthorn AFL club are a stark and disturbing reminder of the latent racism that unfortunately seems to underlie the attitudes of some Australians and many institutions right …”

“The most significant failure of global leadership by governments in recent times is the failure to act decisively and as a matter of urgency on climate change. Surely we have moved beyond the ignorant and irresponsible mumbling of the climate deniers …”

“As the government moves towards its first budget in October, uncertainties about our economic outlook are mounting. That’s partly because it is increasingly difficult to read the world economy, and there’s a growing belief that our interest rates …”

“The successful jobs and skills summit clearly established the significance to our future of improving our national productivity, yet it didn’t attempt to fill in the detail of how to achieve this. The government needs to adopt a clear objective …”

“The worst of what we’ve observed of the Murdoch media globally has made its way back into Australia. This is its tested ‘success’ formula. We should expect better from our media. We should be able to demand fair play, transparency and …”

“The acquisition and exercise of power must carry with it significant responsibility. As Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.’”

“Many seem stuck on the idea that it is a choice between the United States and China, and we should let the US dictate what we do. The Americanisation of Australia has gone too far – we are in danger of losing our national identity. We don’t …”

“Our society is losing sight of the significance and requirements of ‘good governance’. Governance refers to the system by which our key organisations are managed, most importantly elected governments and corporations. It clearly identifies …”

“The policy challenge for the Albanese government is compounded by pressures left deliberately by the Morrison government, or attributable to its incompetence and neglect – in aggregate, record debt with budget deficits stretching as far as the eye …”

“Australians are, on average, the fourth-richest people in the world. Before we start celebrating our luck or cleverness, we should be sobered by The Smith Family’s statement in its most disturbing TV advertising, that one in six of our children …”

“Governments globally claim to base their policy responses to Covid-19 on science, on the advice of medical experts. But there has been a multiplicity of different opinions on the evidence, allowing governments to be politically selective in deciding what …”

“The concept of Australia becoming a renewable energy superpower should be a no-brainer. A clean-energy revolution is under way that will drive societies around the globe to a low-carbon existence. This will rival in significance the Industrial Revolution, …”

“One of the most disappointing aspects of our recent politics – at a tremendous cost to our national interest and wellbeing – has been the treatment of education as something of a political football. Such a fundamentally important policy area …”

“While the climate debate intensifies over the inevitability of further, even more extreme weather events, and the necessary transitions to a low-carbon Australia, it seems that governments are ignoring or playing down the possibility of further pandemics …”

“While it is still early days, it is becoming clear that the Coalition and their media sycophants didn’t believe they would lose the election. They seem unprepared to move on. Beyond the immediate disappointment – both individually, for …”

“In December 2018, 34 former judges wrote a letter to the prime minister expressing their support for the establishment of a national integrity commission with the power to hold public hearings. Apparently, it was not Scott Morrison’s ‘job’ to …”

“Can you imagine our governments encouraging our food producers to export all their product even if it meant Australians would go hungry? We have done this with gas, which is so important for household heating and cooking and as an input for many …”

“In many ways, the economy is a poisoned chalice for the incoming Labor government. So much for the Coalition’s boast of being ‘better economic managers’ – perhaps they were just better economic manipulators. ”

“After such a decisive election outcome, soul-searching about what happened and why is only natural. One of the most conspicuous failures in the campaign was the role played by the media – they certainly tried to undermine our democracy.”

Former Liberal leader and columnist for The Saturday Paper John Hewson on what went wrong for the Coalition on election night - and what lessons the party should take from the defeat.

“Now that election day has finally arrived, it’s reasonable to ask: How much better informed are voters to make their choice? The campaign has certainly been neither a contest of policy ideas, nor of visions for our country’s path ahead.”

“Whether or not Scott Morrison can engineer the miracle of his second coming on May 21, he will leave significant negatives in terms of the Liberal Party and public policy in our country. The standard of political debate, and the respectability and responsibility …”

“Isn’t it reasonable to expect our political leaders to put our people first? It is instructive to recognise that the election campaign has spent most of its time on point-scoring against opponents, blame-shifting and gotcha moments. ”

“Morrison can argue that Albanese has never held an economic portfolio and can’t recall key economic data. However, Morrison would have to concede that his opponent is better able to manage industrial relations, with a Bob Hawke-like capacity to pull …”

“What a tragedy that the campaign is now ‘my scare is bigger than your scare’. We all have to fear that the more frustrated and desperate the major players get, the more they will resort to dirtier tactics and less substance in terms of what they would …”

“Despite the efforts of the media to discredit the independents’ movement, attempting to tag them as ‘fake independents’ and otherwise minimising their coverage, there should be little doubt that many conservative members sitting …”

“The clear message of the 1990 election was that disunity is death in politics. Bob Hawke easily capitalised on this truism to win a fourth term in office. The Liberal Party, meanwhile, had been torn apart by the leadership contest between John Howard …”

“The priority is simply winning. And it is not even about winning to lead, it is about getting the position and power but with little or no commitment to creating a meaningful future for our nation and its people. ”

“Talk about mixed messages on the economy. The government deliberately politicised the budget by moving it forward to March 29, so it could be delivered before a May election, and having set aside $16 billion in the most recent midyear economic statement …”

“We have now entered the territory where governments throw policy integrity to the wind. That is, we are in the final days leading up to the so-called caretaker period, which starts from the point that the election is actually called, and during which …”

“It is most disappointing that natural disasters seem to bring out the best in the Australian people and the worst in our politicians and political processes. We see the enormous outpouring of goodwill from neighbours rescuing neighbours, the phenomenal …”

“I am finding it difficult to accept that Scott Morrison is now so desperate to win a second term he is prepared to run a scare campaign in an attempt to frighten voters on national security, clearly against reason, hoping to wedge Anthony Albanese and …”

“As an average, generally unengaged voter, where would you go to get a balanced understanding of the issues and policy choices to be made at the next election? More than usual, this question is a difficult one to answer. ”

“It’s rather odd that this government is running on the idea that people want the government out of their lives, yet they seem intent on doing the opposite and restricting individual choices. The Religious Discrimination Bill opens up other interesting …”

“There is no doubt that inflation was brought under control through the 1990s, but there is a real debate about just how much of that was due to the management of monetary policy compared with the impact of a host of other factors including, importantly, …”

“Before the pandemic, at most of my speeches to business and civil society groups, a question or comment was almost always made about why we don’t abolish state governments. The reasons were many and varied but all around a theme: a basic concern …”

“We have finally arrived. After an almost daily campaign since the 2019 federal election, we are just a few months short of the next one. Naturally, attention is turning to focus on Anthony Albanese and his opposition. From one perspective – namely that …”

“At the start of a new year, especially after such a tumultuous year as 2021, and in what will be an election year, it seems reasonable to take a look in the ‘too-hard basket’ to see what policy issues were missed, or deliberately ignored, …”

“There will not be a sustained economic recovery without a recovery of small businesses, and at this point they are on their knees. They are an essential element of the fabric of Australia and employ millions of Australians. They are the most innovative …”

“Scott Morrison has gone to great lengths to give his overall Covid-19 response an air of respectability by claiming to be acting on the basis of the science – ignoring his political manipulation of that advice and suggesting this is done with the …”

“Do not be surprised if Scott Morrison attempts a similar format in the coming election campaign; what I call a ‘trust and fear’ strategy. Essentially, Morrison will pose the question to voters, ‘Who do you trust to manage the pandemic …”

“Surprisingly to many, the Coalition has consistently maintained its poll lead over Labor on the question of who would be ‘preferred economic managers’. Although there are a host of other issues that will feature in the coming election campaign – …”

“Now the various independents’ movements are gaining genuine momentum in a number of key seats, having identified good, strong, community-based candidates and launching their campaigns for the next federal election, it is instructive to contemplate …”

“It has been a widely held perception that politicians can play fast and loose with the truth. As with those who sell used cars, they manipulate data and events to suit what they think will be to their short-term political advantage. Donald Trump elevated …”

“Is Scott Morrison’s latest slogan – ‘can-do capitalism’ – simply an overarching abrogation of his responsibility to provide good government in our national interest?”

“It has been demonstrated that incumbent state governments have been advantaged in their elections, but this sentiment is unlikely to be translated as support for the Coalition federally.”

“When will Scott Morrison and the Liberal National Party realise that three-word slogans are not a policy; indeed, they may not even be an effective way to deliver the desired marketing message? In the past two elections we were bombarded with ‘Jobs …”

“How often have you heard that we are a very egalitarian nation, and heard politicians claim that we have one of the most effective and fair social welfare systems in the world – yet inequality remains a significant political issue?”

“Clearly our universities found themselves in very precarious financial circumstances, but the government ruled out any form of direct financial assistance during the pandemic.”

“The latest development in New South Wales politics – the ascension of a new premier, Dominic Perrottet – may soon see the increased influence of the Catholic Church in matters of NSW government administration.”

“The ‘miracle’ growth rates in the Chinese economy have been slowing as the economy attempts some key transitions and tries to deal with important structural challenges.”

“Some in the Coalition act as if we can wait until, say, 2049 to then move towards net zero 2050, but all evidence suggests policy adjustments have to be front-end loaded if goals are to be achieved. ”

“A fundamental weakness of our democracy relates to the funding of election campaigns and other financial support of governments, parties and individual members of parliament. This needs to be a fully transparent and accountable process.”

“As with so much of Australia’s response to climate, it’s the states that are leading in terms of both emissions reduction targets and effective policy responses to the EV transition.”

“Voters are crying out for strong leadership on the big issues and for truth, integrity and accountability in government. There has been a massive loss of confidence, trust and belief in our politicians and in government processes in recent years.”

“One of the most compelling public policy initiatives globally over the past several decades, but unfortunately one of the most poorly implemented, has been privatisation. That is the concept of transferring business, industry or services from public to …”

“It’s taken a long time but the concept of the ‘greater good’ – the sense of a shared destiny, of shared interests, collective purpose, a common future – is finally returning to our politics. Largely this is the result of the need to build community …”

“It is difficult to understand how the government justifies setting the level of JobSeeker below the poverty line. It appears much of the government’s decision was based on the prime minister’s personal prejudice.”

“The pandemic has tested Morrison’s capacity for leadership, and he has been found seriously wanting. He simply hasn’t been able to rise above base politics, nor beyond what he considers to be clever marketing. ”

“It is most disturbing how genuine compassion has been lost from our national government. Even worse, they seem so shameless about it. Concepts of government responsibility, integrity and accountability are increasingly downplayed, even ignored. A sense …”

“Consider some of the most notable and concerning examples of ‘bad behaviour’, excess and the abuse of power and privilege of just the past couple of decades, which have seen an alarming erosion of ministerial responsibility, transparency and accountability.”