by Dr. Robbie Lloyd
For the next few issues, Act Justly will feature a series of extended articles focusing on a number of issues which have been prominent in recent political debate, but remain unresolved. As we promoted in the Vote for The Common Good campaign prior to the Federal Election, there are glaring areas of need, coupled with strong recommendations for reform by royal commissions and other high profile bodies.
It now remains to be seen how a newly elected Labor Federal Government will implement the opportunities for change, which have so far been ignored. Reforms in Aged & Disability Care, Mental Health, Banks and Financial Institutions, Social Housing, Justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Raising the Age of Youth Incarceration, and multiple Environmental Challenges, to name just a few.
So each article in this series will provide a scan of the key issues, policies and/or recommendations on each topic, covering the Labor government’s pre-election ALP policy platform, compared with what the Vote For The Common Good asked for, and some of the key recommendations made by these national inquiries. Our aim is to highlight where we hope to see action taken, to begin to drive the changes needed to improve our nation’s approach to social justice across the broadest spectrum.
We invite your thoughts and suggestions about the issues covered, as we hope to gather more allies in the national push for change. The “Teal” Independents’ success reinforced the message that voters care about many issues beyond those shouted loudly about by the mainstream media. And these are the core issues in improving our national quality of life, so we should all be active in seeing them shift at this key moment in history.
We are also keen to hear from you, our readers, about planning our next format update – to keep pace with the changing social media e-world, and people’s tight timeframes in life. As we consider our engagement with more Podcasting linked to Act Justly articles, better short introductory blurbs, and a way to extend our charism through the wonders of new technology and virtual communication, we would like your suggestions. Please drop an email to joelle.sassine@sydneycatholic.org.