Welcome to Australia's first national community-based futures planning process
We have it in our power to create the world anew
Submissions and activities to support Australia Together
From time to time ACFP makes submissions to government and parliamentary inquiries on matters of strategic significance for Australia's future. ACFP also undertakes activities designed to help Australians plan for their future and consider options for the design of Strategies in collaborative forums.
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Submissions and information about activities in support of Australia Together can be accessed via the links provided below.
Proposal for a National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing - April 2024
Since the release of Issue No. 1, Australia Together has contained a proposal for a National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing. This Accord would provide Australians with a statement of the agreed principles which are to be adhered to by parliaments and governments when making budgetary and economic plans, laws, policies and decisions for the nation.
Subject to community engagement about the exact wording, the intention of the Accord would be bind parliaments and governments to:
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engage with the Australian community as partners in building long term plans for the nation and its finances; and
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protect, promote and secure the economic and social wellbeing of all citizens by adherence to principles of:
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equality of opportunity,
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fair sharing of the burden of raising national wealth,
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fair and more equitable distribution of national wealth,
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public responsibility by Australia as a community for those unable to avail themselves of the minimum provisions for a dignified life, and
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any other principles deemed essential by the Australian community in accordance with the public interest.
The Accord would deliver substantial benefits for individual Australians, their economy and the nation. Read a Fact Sheet about the National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing here.
Listen to a detailed discussion on the Australia Together Podcast about a National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing.
Proposed collaboration to design a Universal Basic Income for all Australians - June 2024
Issue No. 1, Australia Together contained a Strategy for introduction of a social wage as part of a program of achieving full employment. In Issue No. 8 this was expanded into a strategy for community engagement on the design and introduction of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) for all Australians.
A well-designed UBI established consistent with the principles of a pre-agreed accord between the Australian people and their parliaments and governments – such as the above mentioned National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing – would pave the way for amazing economic benefits and reduction of inequality and elimination of poverty in Australia.
Read ACFP's information sheet on the social and economic benefits of a Universal Basic Income and how it can be implemented to maximise those benefits: What is the Strategy in Australia Together for a Universal Basic Income?
Want to know more about a UBI?
Find out more about a UBI in this radio interview of ACFP's Founder Bronwyn Kelly where she answers questions including:
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What is a universal basic income?
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What purpose and need is it responding to that’s not being catered for in the current range of government policies in our society?
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If a UBI is about poverty alleviation, why give it to everyone?
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To what extent will a UBI impact incentives to work?
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Do we need a UBI in anticipation of the possibility that AI will take all our jobs?
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What do we mean by “universal”? Will everyone be eligible?
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Would a UBI replace or destroy existing welfare programs?
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Is there an extra administration layer and cost?
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How would we pay for it?
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What are the barriers to introduction of a UBI and how would the politics play out?
Find answers to twenty-one more questions about a UBI here.
Designing a UBI together
Listen to this podcast to find out how Australians could collaborate to design a universal basic income (UBI) for everyone and how at the same time they can use the process to secure fair tax reforms and reliable funding for all their essential services.
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The Australia Together Podcast - Episode 56: A universal basic income for all Australians.
Supporting an Indigenous Voice to Parliament - 2023
Throughout 2023, ACFP supported campaigners in favour of the Indigenous Voice to parliament. Our support was strong 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.
To determine that this is so, ACFP conducted an analysis of how the Indigenous Voice, as proposed in the referendum and as envisaged in principles set by the the parliament, is consistent or inconsistent with each aspect of the Vision. The results of the analysis are available here in 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:
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peace (both at home and in the wider world),
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climate change mitigation and adaptation,
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cultural harmony, and
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genuine fairness in their democracy.
Analysis in the Fact Sheet on How is the Indigenous Voice consistent with the Vision for Australia Together, functions as a good example of how useful the Vision for Australia Together is in helping Australians efficiently select strategies that will propel us toward a better future as a nation and how it can do so without calling on us to cancel out the legitimate interests of particular groups. For more information on the benefits of building a better future in this way, visit the ACFP webpage on National Integrated Planning & Reporting.
Australian Values and their alignment with the Vision for Australia Together
As part of our ongoing research programs to ensure that the Vision for Australia Together continues to describe the future that Australians have said they prefer, ACFP from time to time scans the reports that are made public by other research organisations on what Australians have said they value and what they want for their future.
The most comprehensive results from these scans have been published in Chapter 5 of The People's Constitution: the path to empowerment of Australians in a 21st century democracy by ACFP's Founder, Bronwyn Kelly.
The People’s Constitution summarises these values in a long list of things – 28 things expressed in about 500 words. They can be further distilled as shown in the list below. Comments on this rendition of Australian values can be emailed to info@austcfp.com.au.
Find ACFP's latest reports on how the Vision for Australia Together is aligned with Australian values in this Fact Sheet: Does the Vision for Australia Together reflect what Australians have said they value and want?
Submission to Inquiry into Australia's Human Rights Framework - June 2023
In 2023 the Attorney General and Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights sought 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.
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ACFP 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.
Speech to the Parliamentary Joint Committee of Inquiry into Australia's Human Rights Framework
On 28 September 2023, ACFP's Founder Bronwyn Kelly addressed the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights in their current Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework. She 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.
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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.
Questions on Notice from Senator Thorpe
After her appearance at the parliamentary Inquiry into Australia's Human Rights Framework, Senator Lidia Thorpe asked Bronwyn Kelly some Questions on Notice.
Listen to Bronwyn Kelly's answers to Senator Thorpe on the Australia Together Podcast.
A complete audio recording of the answers to Senator Thorpe's questions to Bronwyn Kelly is accessible in Episodes 37, 38 and 39 of The Australia Together Podcast series on Insights into Human Rights and Democracy in Australia. This also 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.
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Click here for a full transcript of all three Australia Together Podcast episodes on Insights into Human Rights and Democracy in Australia.
A seven-step program for nation-wide engagement to build a new Constitution
In her testimony to the PJCHR Bronwyn Kelly suggested the need for a program of nation-wide engagement and collaboration for the development of a new Australian Constitution - one fit for a 21st century democracy where everyone has political equality. Dr Kelly submitted an outline of how that process may work.
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ACFP will continue to champion the introduction of such a process. Click here for information and updates on the National Collaborative Process for Development of a New Australian Constitution.
Submission to Defence on reforming defence legislation - April 2023
Read the full submission to Defence here.
In 2023 the federall government called for public submissions in relation to reforming defence legislation.
ACFP’s submission explained that the principles under which the review was being conducted did not align with the values of Australians, values which place peace well above war and aggression.
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ACFP 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).
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ACFP 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.
Submission to Treasury on Measuring What Matters - January 2023
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ACFP’s submission explained 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.
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ACFP 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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Petition demanding that Australia lead the world at COP26 to stop global heating
This petition was submitted in October 2021.
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Click here for a link to the Petition demanding Australia lead the world at COP26 to stop global heating.
Find out why the petition was so important in this video:
For supporting information:
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Articles
Australia can lead the world at COP26 to fix climate change
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At COP26, fair sharing of a carbon budget will be the key to success - 7 minute read
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All nations must be much more ambitious at COP26 if we are to stop global heating - 5 minute read.
Fact Sheets
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Petition to the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison demanding that Australia lead the world at COP26 to stop global heating - 15 minute read
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Snapshots from Australia Together, Episode 1 – A plan for fixing climate change - 12 minute read
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On YouTube
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Snapshots from Australia Together, Episode 1 – A plan for fixing climate change
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Click here to find out why fair sharing of a global carbon budget of 235 billion tonnes will be the key to success at COP26.
Why has this petition been posted?
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Australians want to stop global heating. And the good news is that we can. As Professor Lesley Hughes from the Climate Council has said: “There is no physical reason why we must accept the inevitable demise of life on the planet." She is right.
But we only have about a decade left to do it and there are two crucial things we must fix if we are to succeed. If we fix these things, then nothing will be in our way – not physically anyway.
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The first thing to fix is Australia’s entirely uncooperative stance on the international stage in climate change negotiations under the Paris Agreement - the agreement we have signed with more than 190 other countries to stop global heating.
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The second thing to fix is the world’s persistent focus on using negotiating frameworks in the Paris Agreement that will not stop global heating.
For this reason Australian Community Futures Planning has launched a petition calling on the Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor to:
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take a position of global leadership in COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021 to stop the planet warming by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius; and to
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propose a Motion at COP26 to establish a new negotiating framework in the Paris Agreement - one that is capable of actually stopping the heating and doing so in a way that is fair and achievable for all countries.
The Paris Agreement uses a negotiating framework that was useful for encouraging countries to sign the Agreement in 2015. But it is not and will not be useful for stopping the actual heating. The current negotiating system - which relies on all countries' pledging progressively larger percentage reductions in their emissions over time - can no longer function to stop global heating because it does not oblige each country to reach net zero before too much carbon is emitted in total. It is the total emitted that matters, not the date by which we reach net zero.
The world needs to permanently cap the total volume of greenhouse gases that can henceforth be emitted to the atmosphere if we are to keep temperature rises to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius and all countries must reach net zero before we exceed the volume cap. Otherwise the heating will be locked in.
See how Australia can lead at COP26 to change the negotiating system for stopping global heating and help keep temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Learn more about Strategies in Australia Together for fixing climate change, including the Strategy for Australia's international leadership role on stopping global heating.
The petition has been submitted with an open letter to the Prime Minister.
ACFP contributions to parliamentary inquiries into media diversity
Because a free and open press is vital for democracy and for Australians who wish to plan a better future in democracy, ACFP has made submissions to a range of media diversity inquiries and produced research papers and articles in contribution to this vitally important matter.
We have it in our power to create the world anew