Striving to be a Better Nation

Young married couples often decide to travel their own paths, so what Harry and Meghan are doing is not so unusual and really irrelevant to the future of Australia. What is important to our nation’s future is how we deal with climate change, bushfires, coastal erosion, drought, potential extinction of species and habitat and much more.

While I have much respect for the Queen and her decades of service to the Commonwealth, I believe Australia should become a republic - an independent nation.

Severing the ties and having our own head of state is a sign of adulthood and will enhance us as a nation.  It is sign of maturity – of us moving from colony to nation. Just as moving from pounds and pence to dollars and cents didn’t end civilisation as we know it, our democratic institutions and constitutional framework are sufficiently robust to survive the transition. 

At this time however, my role is to work for a better future for us all. That means pushing this government – now in its seventh year - for more support and adequate funding for vital services. More funding and support for the NDIS, aged care, fire services, health, education, infrastructure and jobs creation. Over 1200 people have died waiting for NDIS funding, 110,000 older Australians languish on waiting lists for home care packages. All these services are straining under government failures.

In the ongoing bushfire crisis lives have been lost, whole ecosystems and species are at risk and tens of thousands of Australians have been impacted. Yet Scott Morrison and the Liberal Government have no plan to address climate change, no plan for the economy or to improve vital services and no plan to improve the infrastructure and jobs crisis.

So whether you support Australia’s move to a republic as I do, or oppose it, our focus should be on the critical issues that are threatening the future of our incredible nation. We have to continue to strive to do better for each other, and for our environment.