Reciminations and point scoring illustrate faults with our political system

(Climate change can only be resolved, or at least addressed with some success when all people, from wherever they sit on the political spectrum, cooperate, collaborate and work together to confront humanity’s worst-ever dilemma – Robert McLean.)

With a near dead heat in the race to form government, why does there have to be only one winner? Why can't we all be winners, drawing on the strengths of all our politicians, not just half of them?

The recriminations and point scoring that have erupted since election-day highlight everything that is wrong with the Australian political system.

Polling confirms that the factor alienating many Australian voters is that neither side has been willing to confront the really big challenges facing our society and our future. For example, climate change constitutes the biggest single threat to humanity in history, particularly to Australia as the driest continent on Earth. We know that Malcolm Turnbull would like to tackle it, but is constrained by the right wing of the LNP.

Read The Canberra Times comment piece from two directors of Australia21, Ian Dunlop and Bob Douglas - “Time to declare both sides of politics and the Australian people thewinners.”

We need to get beyond economics to some truly 'wicked problems'

Most everything in Australian politics is considered in terms of economics.

The fiscal world is alive with strategic thinking, but in reality that same thinking and effort should be made when considering the environment for it is the foundation of everything economic.

Australia21 has just released the report - “Considering the environment in national strategic thinking” - prepared for the Department of Agriculture on behalf of Australia21 by Steven Cork, drawing on notes from Michele Barson, Nicky Grigg, Clare Kerr, and Adrienne Ryan.

It says: “Australia faces many ‘wicked problems’ (complex problems that are hard to define and analyse, are interpreted differently by different parts of society, and often lead to conflicting views on solutions).

“Many have major environmental components. Examples include: population; water management; support for Indigenous Australians; immigration; food security; national security; environmental management and conservation,” it says.

Environmental and social issues will need to become top of mind if Australia is to play its part in both understanding and mitigating climate change.

Burning science books didn't work then and it doesn't work now - Dunlop

Ian Dunlop writes about how the burning of science books didn’t work in the past and is not working today.

A former international oil, gas and coal executive and chair of the Australian Coal Association and CEO of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Mr Dunlop is critical of the Abbott Government for its taking of “anti-science” stance to new heights.

In an article published by the Centre for Policy Development he said: “Its “scorched earth” approach discards virtually everything not in line with narrow, free-market ideology, centred on sustaining Australia’s 20th Century “dig-it-up and ship-it-out” economic growth model”.

Mr Dunlop is a member of the Club of Rome, a Director of Australia21 and a Fellow of the Centre for Policy Development.

His article is headed: “Burning the science books. Didn’ t work then, won’t work now”.