On Tuesday 19 May, Eva Cox, Patron of Australian Fabians, gave an address via Zoom as the guest speaker during the WA Fabians AGM on "Privatisation, the State and COVID-19".

Progressive Ideas Worth Sharing

Eva Cox on Privatisation, the State and COVID-19

On 18 June 2020 Professor Geoff Gallop gave this address via Zoom for WA Fabians on deliberative democracy and the work of the newDemocracy Foundation.

Geoff Gallop on Deliberative Democracy

Linda is one of Australia's most well-known union leaders. She's been at the forefront of some of our biggest industrial campaigns from supporting workers during the collapse of Ansett and Virgin through to the ASU's equal remuneration campaign. Linda is also the Chair of the Chifley Research Centre, a director at Statewide Super and former vice-president of the ACTU. Linda will draw from the collective experience of union members as we talk about: Virgin Australia's collapse - protecting workers, strong unions and the role of government. Job Keeper, Job Seeker, casual and international workers - what needs to be done to protect non-permanent employees. Keeping our social, community sector and other frontline workers safe, and remunerated, during a crisis. How Unions and progressive organisations can work together to deliver the bold social and economic reform our country desperately needs. Plus - your questions!

In Conversation with Linda White: Social Justice and Workers' Rights in Times of Crisis

How will COVID-19 Shape the Progressive Agenda for Australia's Future Join the Australian Fabians and Andrew Leigh MP as we talk through the topic of 'How will COVID-19 Shape the Progressive Agenda for Australia's Future'.  

In Conversation with Andrew Leigh MP: How will COVID-19 Shape the Progressive Agenda for Australia's Future.

Leveling the Democratic Playing Field - Suelette Dreyfus, Stephen Charles AO

This address by Dr Jim Stanford, Director, Centre for Future Work based at The Australia Institute was co-hosted by UnionsWA and The Australian Fabians in WA. It was delivered in Perth on Wednesday 3rd April 2019.    

Dr Jim Stanford: The Many Faces of Privatisation

Reports of the death of democracy may be greatly exaggerated. However, there is mounting evidence that many people are losing trust in our democratic institutions. Today people in countries we regard as non-democratic often have greater confidence in their governments to act in their interests than we do. Observers pin the blame on our out-of-touch governments, corrupt media and politicians, big corporations and a growing gap between rich and poor. More than a few disaffected citizens are meanwhile attracted to new populisms because they feel dragged down by economic dissatisfaction, broken promises, decline and injustice. In his talk, John Keane will survey recent trends to suggest that democracy urgently needs reimagining if it is to address the dangers and opportunities posed by current global realities. His talk will offer a radically new interpretation of the twenty-first century fate of democracy and why, despite everything, it may survive the current anti-democratic trends and remain a global ideal. Renowned globally for his creative thinking about democracy, John Keane has been described by the ABC as one of 'Australia's great intellectual exports'. He is Professor of Politics at the University of Sydney and at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB), and Distinguished Professor at Peking University. He is the Director and co-founder of the Sydney Democracy Network. Keane has contributed to The New York Times, Al Jazeera, the Times Literary Supplement, The Guardian, Harper’s, the South China Morning Post and The Huffington Post. His latest book, The New Despotisms, on the global rise of despotism and the decline of democracy in the West, is to be published by Harvard University Press in early 2020.

John Keane - Is Democracy Dying

This address on the 2019 European election and the rise of the right was delivered by Natalie Mast to the 2019 WA AGM of Australian Fabians on 14th July. Ms Mast, a Fabian member, completed her PhD on the influence of institutional design upon the organisation of parties and the behaviour of members in the European Parliament. The slides used during the presentation can be downloaded here: https://www.fabians.org.au/wa_fabians    

The 2019 European Elections The rise of the right

On 10 June, 2019 WA Fabians hosted, with support from CGM Communications, a 2019 Federal Election Analysis with presentations from William Bowe, Channel 9, ABC radio election and Crikey commentator and political blogger 'The Poll Bludger' as well as from Karen Luscombe of WA Opinion Poll. The PowerPoints can be downloaded from here: https://www.fabians.org.au/wa_fabians  

2019 Federal Election Analysis

FABIANS FORUM: Opportunities for Progressive Reform for the 47th National ALP Conference

On 11 March 2019 Australian Fabians co-hosted with Emily's List "Anne Summers in conversation with Anne Aly" held at the Perth Town Hall.

Anne Summers in Conversation with Anne Aly

Richard Denniss, chief economist at The Australia Institute, has updated and expanded his best-selling Quarterly Essay into his newest book Dead Right: How neoliberalism ate itself and what comes next. Australian Fabians and The Australia Institute are proud to invite you to the Melbourne leg of his book tour. "In Dead Right, Richard explores ideas around what Neoliberalism has done to Australia. For decades, we have been led to believe that the private sector does everything better, that governments can’t afford to provide the high-quality services they once did, but that security and prosperity for all are just around the corner. In fact, Australians are now less equal, millions of workers have no sick leave or paid holidays, and housing is unaffordable for many. Deregulation, privatisation and trickle-down economics have, we are told, delivered us twenty-seven years of economic growth ... but to what end? This updated and expanded edition of Richard Denniss’ bestselling Quarterly Essay gives a template for understanding the next federal election; discusses how and why the right of politics has continued to splinter; focuses on why energy and climate policy is such a problem for conservative politics; and looks in more detail at what could come after neoliberalism." ~ The Australia Institute Team Dead Right: How Neoliberalism ate itself and what comes next, is out now!    

Richard Denniss: Dead Right Book Tour

In 2007, Kevin Rudd famously declared climate change to be “the great moral challenge of our generation” Nevertheless, successive Labor and Coalition governments have failed to act effectively towards action on climate change or mitigating its effects. Corruption, denial and delay have permeated our institutions and have contributed to the current political inertia that has produced both outrage and hopelessness, as well as profound alienation from our democratic system. But it doesn’t have to be this way... Individuals and groups both domestically and overseas are fighting to change the politics of climate change before it is too late. But how do we change climate politics when the power is not with grassroots activists and individual citizens? Who is standing in our way? What makes our democratic system amplify some political points of view and not others? Who has most access to the levers that change political outcomes? What can we do to change that? For a discussion on why so much has gone wrong with the politics of climate change, and where to look to successfully change how climate politics get heard, join us for this event on the 10th of April!   Speakers: Victoria McKenzie-McHarg Victoria is currently Manager of Strategy and Planning at Bank Australia. Bank Australia are strongly committed to supporting renewable projects and lending to low-income households for solar installations. Victoria has been chair of the Climate Action Network Australia since October 2015, and is a Board member of the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute at the University of Melbourne. Her previous positions include Climate Campaigner at Environment Victoria from 2007 to 2013, a Director at the Moreland Energy Foundation from 2011 to 2014, and a Climate Campaign Manager at the Australian Conservation Foundation from 2014 to 2015.   David Spratt David has been an important climate activist and author for many years. Best known as co-author of the influential book Climate Code Red, he is Research Director at the Breakthrough Research Centre for Climate Restoration, and authored/co-authored many key reports on the growing significance of the acceleration of climate change, most recently "What Lies Beneath" (co-authored with Ian Dunlop), described as the inside story of how climate policy has become embedded in a culture of failure and scientific reticence. David is a member of the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute at the University of Melbourne.

Changing the Politics of Climate Change

Addresses by Phil O'Donoghue and Tim Dymond at Perth Trades Hall on Tuesday 4 December 2018 based on their contribution to the Australian Fabians Pamphlet 27 Inclusive Growth. Opinions expressed are their own.

The Future, Unions and Equality

Emeritus Professor Gillian Triggs has been both a champion of human rights and a target of attempts to suppress them. She is the former President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, and for Fabians, needs little other introduction. Australia is increasingly abrogating its human rights obligations abroad and the fundamental freedoms of its own citizens at home. Secrecy laws cover the most extreme breaches. Surveillance and self censorship ensure that people who might act as witnesses and whistleblowers do not or cannot speak up. Organisations that might act as checks and balances are delegitimized by accusations of politicisation, and progressively defunded. New threats to human rights emerge all the time. The recently proposed Office of National Intelligence Bill will confer powers that may substantially undermine the personal privacy of ordinary citizens. Professor Triggs' will focus on the effects of this Bill and other legislative threats to our fundamental freedoms in common law and treaty obligations.    

Emeritus Professor Gillian Triggs: Your Rights at Risk: The National Intelligence Bill

We aim to promote greater equality of power, wealth and opportunity. We are a collective movement who promote equality by advancing new ideas. Our movement engages through events, publications, research and public advocacy to deliver positive change for a better Australia.

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Progressive Ideas Worth Sharing

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