“We’re not about winning elections in a year, we’re about winning debates over a decade. The conservative ideas experiment has been tried and it’s failed. They’ve left Australia with fragile prosperity based on a boom, far too many kids left behind, a changing climate, a divided culture and knee-jerk responses to real security threats.” – Michael Cooney, Policy Director, Per Capita Thinktank
A bright upward future view and damning condemnation of conservatism. What more could one want from the opening gambit of a centre-left thought collective?
Well, in Bannerman’s view, something tangible for the public, business and industry representatives and dare it be mentioned – potential donors – to peruse and gain an understanding of. Seriously, Mr Cooney, it’s all very well to have Michelle Grattan and left-leaning bloggers like Andrew Leigh write encouraging things for you, but what about something a little more substantial for the likes of the Bannerman to wander through?
Bannerman notes the usual suspects from the right smearing their grubby paws across the concept of promoting social democracy, which is only to be expected given the distinct lack of understanding of the concept, but surely you could have at least shown that Googlebot stats aren’t the be-all and end-all of progressive postulation?
On a more positive note, Bannerman welcomes the initiation of a more determined, future thinking collective with close ties to the socialist aspects of Australian political culture. For too long have the non-conservative elements in policy formation looked and sounded far too much like the conservative side of the divide. Social thinking is not a crime, nor is it a cultural sin. Indeed, it is a necessity if the future of this country is to expand beyond the next electoral cycle.
Bannerman looks forward eagerly to the launch of the Per Capita internet presence and the connectivity with this hopefully expanding group of progressive thinkers such a presence will provide.