Opinion: The biggest changes in society take many years. Labor’s vision should be long-term – and bold
to help redevelop the Wayside Chapel in Sydney, which had “provided its brand of unconditional care and support to people on and around the streets of Kings Cross since it was first opened by Rev Ted Noffs as a ‘social experiment’ in 1964”.
Last Sunday, Albanese attended a play at Sydney’s Belvoir Theatre focusing on one aspect of that “social experiment”., such as divorcees and couples from different races and faiths. The production featured Albanese’s friend Sacha Horler, but it’s unlikely the reasons were only personal. As a way to end his first week as prime minister, his attendance sent a strong early symbol of support for the arts.
One long-running Australian story progressed a little last week, with Albanese’s appointment of an assistant minister for the republic. The appointment is probably useful, in that Albanese has committed to moving towards a referendum on the Indigenous Voice to parliament this term and, later, towards a referendum on the republic, and these will involve discussions and arrangements that will need to begin sooner rather than later. But the most important fact is that the position exists.
An important historical question for new prime ministers to consider is: when do governments tend to get the largest things done? The usual answer to this is in their first term, when they are new, energetic and have political capital to burn. John Howard’s first term was dysfunctional and ridiculed – but saw gun reform, a huge industrial relations battle on the waterfront, and the announcement that he would pursue a GST.
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