Australian Labor Party

Australian Labor Party
The Party for all Australians

Saturday 14 June 2014

WE SURELY HOPE THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WILL TAKE INTEREST IN POLITICS TO AVOID A RECURRENCE OF THE HORRENDOUS GOVERNMENT WE NOW HAVE.
WE MUST VOTE OUT THIS CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT NEVER TO RETURN.
WE DO NOT NEED ANOTHER TONY ABBOTT AND CO. EVER.


Thursday 12 June 2014

Let's rejoice: progressive views which were once radical are now mainstream | Anthony Albanese | Comment is free | theguardian.com

Let's rejoice: progressive views which were once radical are now mainstream | Anthony Albanese | Comment is free | theguardian.com



ALBO OUR FUTURE PRIME MINISTER


Let's rejoice: progressive views which were once radical are now mainstream



While
progressives are often vilified at the time of their advocacy, they are
the creators of the positive narrative of human advancement – the left
should celebrate this



Protestors of the Vietnam War in Washington, DC 1969.
Protestors of the Vietnam War in Washington, DC 1969. Photograph: JP Laffont/Sygma/Corbis


When I read Meredith Burgmann’s new book Dirty Secrets - Our ASIO Files, I felt a range of emotions.

At
times, the stories of 26 Australian political activists who were
granted access to their secret ASIO files made me angry. After all, here
was a secret government agency literally spying on people who were
simply exercising their right to participate in our democracy. But the
biggest take-out for me is hope.


I should explain. During the second half of the 20th century ASIO reasoned that the activities of these 26 people, including well-known Australians like former high court judge Michael Kirby, journalist Phillip Adams and horticulturalist Peter Cundall were potentially dangerous people worthy of expensive and time-consuming surveillance.

But
when we consider the issues that were the focus of their activism –
opposition to the Vietnam war and apartheid and support for Indigenous
land rights, women's liberation, gay rights and trade unions – things
look a little different. History shows us that the causes for which
these activists fought have largely been realised, and views once seen
as extreme are now considered mainstream.







A women's liberation demonstration.
A women's liberation demonstration. Photograph: John Olson/Time & Life/Getty



Last year the funeral of Nelson Mandela saw him recognised as one
of, if not the most, inspirational figure of the 20th Century. There is a
broad acknowledgment that the Vietnam War was a mistake. A woman's
right to choose is a given for most Australians and we have had a female
prime minister, governor general and female leaders of every state and
territory government, except for South Australia.


So the battles
of the last century that were considered subversive at the time, have
largely been won. That’s why this book inspires hope. It is an
affirmation that, in spite of the best efforts of those who seek to hold
back progress, history moves forward. It is also a reminder to the
progressive left side of politics that a just cause will win in the end,
whatever people say at the beginning. If the objects of the progressive
left last century are now considered mainstream, issues that should
inspire today’s activists will also find acceptance in the future.


So
while we have a prime minister who believes that the science behind
climate change is, in his words, absolute crap, a day will come when
that comment will be seen as absurd. Abbott is on the wrong side of
history, his place defined not by leadership, but by resistance to
change.


I know some of the 26 Australians who feature in this book
personally, so I know their activism came from the best of motives.
Those that I know were not planning to overthrow the state in violent
revolution or to diminish the rights or quality of life of any
individual or group.


While reading their stories invigorates my
reformist spirit, it also reminds me that one of the problems with the
progressive left is that we consistently fail to celebrate our many
victories. Often that is because, having won one battle, we hasten to
the next challenge. The work of reformers is never complete.


Conservatives
don’t have that problem. By definition, they fear change. True
conservatives fear anything that is at odds with the status quo, even to
the extent of being unable to recognise when the status quo represents
injustice. And reactionary conservatives actually want to tear down the
gains of the past.


This brings me back to 2014 and Tony Abbott.
His recent budget is not a plan for the future, but an attack on the
gains of the past, like universal health care and equality of access to
education. His position on climate change
is an affront to anyone who is prepared to give the planet the benefit
of the doubt. Abbott has defined himself by what he is opposed to, not
what he supports.


However, as this book shows, the good news is
that history is frequently kinder to progressives that conservatives.
While progressives are often vilified at the time of their advocacy,
they are the creators of the positive narrative of human advancement.


The
apology to the Stolen Generation went from being a radical concept to
one of national celebration when Kevin Rudd lifted our hearts with the
sincerity of his words. A year earlier, the conservatives were still
arguing that this would be divisive rather than a positive step on our
national journey.


In the same way, people will one day look back at Abbott’s views on climate change and say: “really?”