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acfp is a strong supporter of the Voice

With the defeat of the Voice Referendum, ACFP will continue to advocate for a Voice to Parliament for Indigenous Australians because this is consistent with the Vision for Australia Together. Justice for Indigenous Australians is also central to that Vision.

 

ACFP will also advocate just as strongly for all Australians to have a Voice to Parliament. For more information see The People's Constitution: the path to empowerment of Australians in a 21st century democracy.

Welcome to Australia's first national community-based futures planning process

Australian Community Futures Planning

is a community-based research and planning entity that is organising to involve Australians in planning a better future for themselves and for future generations.

 

At ACFP we are using a new community engagement and planning framework called:

National Integrated Planning & Reporting

to help Australians build

Australia's first National Community Futures Plan,

Australia Together.

Find out more about Australia Together.

Read the latest issue of the

Starting Draft of Australia Together.

Find out more about

National Integrated Planning & Reporting.

Find out how you can become involved.

It's free and it's easy.

At Australian Community Futures Planning we are working to bring Australians together to plan their own future as a nation.

Australia Together

acfp has been established to help Australians build a better 

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Click here to read all Issues of the starting draft of

Australia Together.

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Find ideas for building a better Australia together in the Australia Together Podcast on Substack

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Click here for ACFP videos on YouTube

Latest News

Latest News - August 2024

Launch of Issue No. 8 of Australia Together

Australia Together is a practical plan for a safe arrival in the best future we can imagine.

Issue No. 8 of Australia Together contains 27 new Targets and 25 new Strategies bringing the total number of Indicators of the health of the nation that are being measured in Australia Together to 364. The Australia Together dataset and plan are vital to the nation's capacity to safely transition to a better future.

 

Issue No. 8 is likely to be the last before the federal election scheduled for 2025. The performance of the 47th parliament will be assessed against this plan. 

Read Issue No. 8 of Australia Together here.

Click here for an article on what's new in Issue No. 8 of Australia Together.

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Latest News - June 2024

Launch of a Strategy for a Universal Basic Income for all Australians

Introduction of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) for all Australians is now included as a Strategy in Australia Together.

 

Find out all about the benefits of a UBI here.

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Latest News - April 2024

New articles and podcast conversations: Looking into Australia Together

With the release of Issue No. 7 of Australia Together, ACFP's Founder Bronwyn Kelly has launched a new series of articles and podcast episodes about what's in Australia Together and how it can help Australians select parliaments that will work in the public and national interest. 

Read the first article in the series: Australians can elect parliaments that work for them.

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Preparing for the 2025 federal election and for release of The State of Australia 2025.

Throughout 2024 ACFP will be working to ensure it’s easy in the lead up to the next federal election for all Australians to find the factual information they need about the performance of the parliament and government they elected in 2022.

This information will be provided in The State of Australia 2025, an independent report to be collated by ACFP which will contain the evidence about whether, during the term of the current parliament and government, Australia moved towards or further away from the future that Australians have said they prefer. This preferred future is described in the Vision for Australia Together and in the plan being designed to make that Vision a reality - Australia Together.

Watch out for more articles and podcast conversations about Australia Together in the lead up to the federal election, including some on strategies for:

  • fixing Australia’s housing crisis;

  • reforming Australia’s Constitution;

  • stopping climate change;

  • achieving peace, security and independent defence of Australia;

  • ensuring prosperity through lifelong educational opportunities;

  • establishing a National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing between Australians and their parliaments and governments, including a social wage or "universal basic income" for all adult Australians; and

  • reforming Australia’s electoral systems and their funding.

Latest News - February 2024

Launch of Issue No. 7 of Australia Together

A new issue of the starting draft of Australia Together has been released, the first review of the plan since July 2022.

 

Issue No. 7 of Australia Together contains 36 new Targets and Strategies bringing the total number of Indicators of the health of the nation that are being measured in Australia Together to 312. The data set on which the plan is based - the Australia Together National Wellbeing Index - is the most comprehensive consolidated index of national wellbeing in the world. The Index and the plan are vital to the nation's capacity to safely transition to a better future. They position Australians to significantly increase their chances of a sustainable future of prosperity, wellbeing and security for all.

Issue No. 7 of Australia Together has been updated for the term of the 47th parliament of Australia. ACFP will measure the parliament's progress toward the preferred future of Australians at the end of the 47th parliament's term of office in 2025.

Read Issue No. 7 of Australia Together here.

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With Australia Together Australians can save their future.

Australia's governments are not planning to secure a better future for Australians. So Australians need to build that plan themselves and encourage governments to take it seriously and do all things necessary to follow it.

Without a plan like Australia Together, we are more than likely to slip into destruction of everything we each hold dear about living here. With it, we are giving ourselves a chance to rise above politics and the short term agendas that are creating ecological and economic crises. With Australia Together Australians can set themselves up to have a much greater influence in decisions made for their future and for the places they live in. Find out more about how this can work to help Australians make the fullest use of their democracy as political equals in this speech by ACFP Founder Bronwyn Kelly to the Voices of Ku-ring-gai.

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Latest News - November 2023

Release of new major essay by ACFP Founder Bronwyn Kelly -

Saving Australian Democracy and Sovereignty by Building a New Constitution.

In this four-part essay, ACFP's Founder Bronwyn Kelly discusses how Australians are being dragged into a full ceding of sovereignty over their country and how, if we do nothing to reverse this, we will end up losing our democracy itself. She offers evidence in the essay that we are on the brink of losing both our sovereignty and democracy.

 

To help prevent this loss, Bronwyn suggests that Australia needs a new type of Constitution - a People's Constitution - as well as terms of trust between the people and the parliaments they elect. She sets out how collaboration may be organised to develop these terms of trust and the benefits for our democracy and sovereignty.

 

Click here for a full transcript of the all four parts of the essay.

Listen to the essay on Episodes 40, 41, 42 and 43 of the Australia Together Podcast.

Latest News - October 2023

ACFP remains a strong supporter of the Indigenous Voice

With the defeat of the Voice referendum, ACFP announced the need to continue working towards a Voice for Indigenous Australians, including a right to a Voice in the Constitution.

 

Why is ACFP a strong advocate for the Indigenous Voice? - Because an Indigenous Voice to both parliament and the government is fully consistent with the Vision for Australia Together. Defeat of the Voice is wholly at odds with the Vision and moves us away from the possibility of making our aspirations for the future a reality by 2050 or sooner.

 

For full details see this Fact Sheet: How is the Indigenous Voice consistent with the Vision for Australia Together?  The analysis in the Fact Sheet shows that there isn’t a single element of the Vision for Australia Together that wouldn’t be enhanced by establishment of an Indigenous Voice. Broader Australia would also be much better off, with enhanced capacity for:

  • peace (both at home and in the wider world),

  • climate change mitigation and adaptation,

  • cultural harmony, and

  • genuine fairness in their democracy.

 

An Indigenous Voice would unambiguously propel Australia towards the Vision for Australia Together, not away from it. By contrast, a rejection of an Indigenous Voice would do great harm to all Australians. Chief among those negative impacts would be:

  • a widening of inequality in Australia and the consequent cost of the health impacts of that;

  • a progressive weakening of social cohesion and the security that comes from all groups living harmoniously together;

  • a loss of the respect of international communities and the attendant economic costs of that;

  • a subscription to cruelty instead of compassion and injustice instead of fairness; and

  • a reinforcement of the racist clauses of Australia's Constitution, clauses which are discriminatory and which heavily disadvantage Indigenous Australians.

 

ACFP will also continue to advocate just as strongly for all Australians to have a Voice to Parliament. For more information see The People's Constitution: the path to empowerment of Australians in a 21st century democracy.

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After the defeat of the Voice referendum:

Important reading - click here for an Open Letter from Indigenous Leaders: A Statement for Our People and Country

22 October 2023

Latest News - October 2023

ACFP's Founder Bronwyn Kelly testifies in Parliamentary Inquiry on Human Rights.

Dr Kelly made a case in support of a Human Rights Act but stated that the Constitution is a barrier to security of the human rights of Australians.

Governments can - and they do - all too easily reduce or revoke human rights because rights are not enshrined in the Constitution. But with a process of nation-wide community engagement to build a new Constitution, Australians can finally secure the rights that have long been denied to them in Australian law. Read the full opening statement and additional material submitted by Dr Kelly here.

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Bronwyn Kelly's opening statement to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights was very positively received. Listen to the response from the Committee's Deputy Chair, Russell Broadbent, MP.

Parliamentary Joint Committee Deputy Chair, Russell Broadbent MP, endorses Bronwyn Kelly's speech on human rights.

Questions in Notice received from Senator Lidia Thorpe

After her appearance at the parliamentary Inquiry into Australia's Human Rights Framework, Senator Lidia Thorpe asked Bronwyn Kelly some Questions on Notice.

Read Dr Kelly's answers to Senator Thorpe here.

An audio recording of these answers is also available in Episodes 37, 38 & 39 of the Australia Together Podcast series on Insights into Human Rights and Democracy in Australia. This includes a detailed answer to a key question about democracy in Australia from the Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, Mr Josh Burns MP.

Listen to Episodes 37, 38 & 39 here.

Read the full transcript here.

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Latest news - June 2023

ACFP has made a submission to the federal government's Inquiry into Australia's Human Rights Framework

The federal government is seeking comments on whether the Human Rights Framework adopted by the Labor government in 2010 and abandoned by the subsequent Coalition government should be re-established and, in particular, whether this time around it should include a Human Rights Act.

ACFP has submitted that legislation to protect human rights is long overdue in Australia but that full security of rights cannot be achieved unless human rights are enshrined in the Constitution. Legislation is not enough to protect Australians from government abuse. Read the full submission here.

Latest news - May 2023

ACFP has launched a newsletter on the State of Australia on Substack

ACFP’s Founder Bronwyn Kelly is now on Substack with a newsletter on

The State of Australia.

 

Subscribe for regular updates, articles, videos and podcasts at this link. Or subscribe by entering your email in the form below.

 

Subscription is free. ACFP does not intend to paywall the newsletter.

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Launch of the Australia Together Podcast on Substack

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ACFP has transferred its Australia Together Podcast to the Substack platform.

 

In the first episodes we are featuring the full audio version of the new book by ACFP's Founder Bronwyn Kelly:

The People’s Constitution:

the path to empowerment of Australians

in a 21st century democracy

You’ll be able to listen to a complete reading of The People’s Constitution in weekly instalments. The full book has already been published and is available in paperback here and on Kindle here.

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Click here to listen to Episode 1 of the Australia Together Podcast:

The People's Constitution - Introduction: Inviting Australians to take power over their destiny

read by the author, Bronwyn Kelly

Latest news - April 2023

ACFP has made a submission to the government's review of defence legislation

On 9 March 2023, the Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP, announced a call for public submissions in relation to reforming defence legislation.

ACFP’s submission explains that the principles under which the review is being conducted do not align with the values of Australians, values which place peace well above war and aggression.

ACFP has suggested scrapping the entire review and replacing it with a fully inclusive strategic planning process in which Australians can participate to define the nation’s strategic interests and acceptable paths towards the maintenance of those interests (that is, paths that are consistent with their values as espoused by them, not by governments).

ACFP has also supported the submission from the Independent Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) because their points and objections are consistent with the values of Australians to promote peace and prevent war wherever possible.   

Latest news - March 2023

Release of new major essay in response to Australia's Treasurer, Jim Chalmers

In this new major essay ACFP’s Founder Bronwyn Kelly discusses Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ commitment to hold conversations on the economy. She looks at how Australians can chime in and suggests that there are three important conversations that should be established between the government and Australians at large if we are to succeed as a nation in building the sort of economy the government wants – one that promotes inclusion, equality and the values of Australians.

Read the full essay here.

Listen to the full essay here on ACFP's YouTube podcasts.

Latest news - January 2023

ACFP's Founder, Bronwyn Kelly, has released a new book,

The People's Constitution:

the path to empowerment of Australians in a 21st century democracy

The People’s Constitution offers Australians a safe path towards their empowerment in democracy by showing how they can add their voices to their votes. It shows how they can dramatically but efficiently increase their influence in their own governance by creating clear terms of trust with those they elect to positions of power. It also shows how, in the process, they can secure a far better future for every Australian.

Read more about The People's Constitution in ACFP's latest newsletter.

The People's Constitution:

Available on Amazon Kindle AU$11.99.

Order the paperback by email.

AU$34.99 including postage anywhere in Australia.

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Click here to order the paperback of The People's Constitution by email.

ACFP has made a submission to Treasury's Measuring What Matters Program

Treasury has proposed developing a new measurement system for Australian wellbeing based on the OECD's Indicators Framework.

 

ACFP’s submission explains that the OECD framework is likely to be less useful to Australians in measuring wellbeing than the Australia Together National Wellbeing Index but linkages between frameworks would benefit benefit Australians if policies are selected to protect what Australians value - what actually matters to them.

ACFP has suggested Treasury establish a program to ask Australians what they value and what they want for their future before selecting policies and indicators of progress towards what matters. 

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Latest news - December 2022

First scholarly article about National Integrated Planning & Reporting appears in a peer reviewed international journal

It is only two years since ACFP launched National Integrated Planning & Reporting as a new means of helping Australians get together and plan a better future for their nation.

 

The original idea for National IP&R came from local government, which has been practising Integrated Planning & Reporting to varying degrees under legislation in several Australian states for at least a decade.

 

ACFP has been pilot testing the use of Integrated Planning & Reporting at the national level as a community-driven planning process. We have adapted and expanded the capacity of the form of IP&R used by local governments so that it can help Australians plan for their national economy and so that it can ensure the diversity of the Australian community is protected and used as the strength that it is.

Check the latest on our progress with the pilot testing of National IP&R here in Newsletter No. 9.

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Read the full article in the Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance:

Local governments can show national governments how to plan better:

integrated planning and reporting reforms in Australia

National IP&R

Learn about National Integrated Planning & Reporting - National IP&R

Learn all about how National Integrated Planning & Reporting is a game changer in democracy, helping Australians to rise above politics and set the agenda for the nation's future.

Watch ACFP's video series on National IP&R and find out how to take more control of your future by getting involved.

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State of Australia

The State of Australia & the Australia Together National Wellbeing Index

In addition to helping Australians plan a better future, ACFP provides reports on progress with plans. Research by ACFP has enabled us to build the Australia Together National Wellbeing Index. This Index holds the data we need to monitor changes in our wellbeing and security and whether we are traveling towards the future we prefer. With the aid of the Index we are able to produce reports about whether Australia is moving towards or away from its preferred Vision for a better future - the Vision for Australia Together.

Find out about the Vision for Australia Together here.

Read more about the Australia Together National Wellbeing Index here.

All data in the Australia Together National Wellbeing Index, including sources, are held for public view inside Chapters 5 to 8 of Australia Together. View the latest baseline and Target data here.

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Click here to find out about the

State of Australia

We have it in our power to create the world anew

Tom Paine, 1776

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