In this episode of the Australia Together Podcast on Substack I read the Introduction to Chapter 3 of my latest book, The Public Interest Economy: the path to wellbeing, security and sustainable consumption in a democratised Australian economy.
Chapter 3 is called A framework for trust in a democratised Australian economy. It’s about how we can rebuild the trust that is essential for an economy that will deliver wellbeing and security for everyone.
No economy works well without trust. So Chapter 3 begins discussion of how Australians can restore trust in governments by democratising their economy and increasing their influence in decisions. It shows how they can do this by using National Integrated Planning & Reporting.
National IP&R gives Australians a means of designing their preferred future as a nation and then striking an essential new agreement with governments that will underpin our trust in both the economy and decision makers. That necessary agreement is called the National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing.
Find out about National IP&R and how to get involved here.
Find out about the National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing here.
What’s the purpose of National IP&R?
If we are to build trust in the capapcity of governments to make good economic decisions, Australians will need to increase their influence over those decisions. This means we will need to increase our participation in democracy. That is what National IP&R is for.
The main purpose of National Integrated Planning & Reporting is to make democratic participation by any and all Australians easy and efficient, and to increase the influence Australians can have with the governments they elect in setting a national agenda that will take them and their country towards a future of wellbeing via the safest strategic and policy routes.
If Australians learn to use National IP&R they will be able to increase not just their influence in decisions, but also their equality of access to the benefits of the economy.
Importantly, National IP&R also provides a framework for the community engagement necessary at a national level to establish the fair distribution of the nation’s total taxation burden. It provides a framework for achieving justice and fairness in the raising and sharing of national wealth.
National IP&R is the process by which we can democratise our economy. It is the means by which the nation can develop terms of trust with elected governments that set down in writing the agreed principles for decision making on the economy. And it is a process which allows people to establish a fair social contract with governments – a bargain where each side knows what it is getting.
With National IP&R Australians can create a bargain that boosts trust, giving everyone confidence not just that they will be taxed fairly but also that the government will spend as much as it needs to spend to protect the public interest and ensure the welfare and wellbeing of everyone. This creates a basis for a new guarantee that from the late 2020s onwards, no-one will ever fall into poverty and also that no-one will ever pay more than their fair share of the taxes necessary to create an economy capable of providing enough employment, welfare and wellbeing for everyone with stable prices and with patterns of production and consumption that are sustainable within the limits of our human and natural resources.
Stay in touch for the next episode
Next Episode: Chapter 3, Parts 2 to 5 – Details of the National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing.
Listen to a full reading of The Public Interest Economy
You’ll be able to listen to a complete reading of The Public Interest Economy in weekly instalments.
If you wish to keep reading, the full book has already been published and is available on Kindle here. The paperback is available for mail-order here or click on the picture below. Or visit the Australian Community Futures Planning website to purchase The Public Interest Economy at https://austcfp.com.au/publications#public-interest-economy
Useful insights into The Public Interest Economy
Click on the picture to listen to a radio interview with Bronwyn Kelly about The Public Interest Economy.
