My role in public debate

A Talk to RMIT Communications Students,
6 April 2000

MY ROLE

To publicly critique, through evidence, argument and analysis, the use, particularly the over-use or the wrongful use, of political mechanisms in social processes.

Means I use include:

• Publication of papers on specific issues
• Publication of articles in newspapers
• Media appearances
• Talks and participation in debates
• Eschewing political alignment, and concentrating on intellectual and policy debate, though there are personal links with people involved in the Liberal Party

PUBLIC SECTOR DOES NOT MEAN ONE IS FREE OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

For example, the ABC is:

• a tax-funded body, so low-tax political agendas are not in its interests
• a public sector producer, so privatisation agendas are not in its interests
• the dominant purveyor of quality broadcasting, liberalisation of the broadcasting market -- generating greater capacity for commercial exploitation of niche markets -- is not in its interests
• an exemplar of political provision, so pro-market agendas generally are not in its interests.

Moreover, the obvious conflict of interest in having the government own a major media outlet is one of the biggest barriers to an accountable ABC, since we want media organisations to be independent of the Government of the day, yet such independence makes the ABC independent of its legal owner and of the only effective executive agent of its notional owners (us).

THINK TANKS ARE RELATIVELY RARE IN AUSTRALIA

• Australia lacks the American tradition of private philantrophy
• Rigid party discipline provides less role for independent policy advice
• Australian political culture tends to be very utilitarian.

Strong structure of government policy research institutions

• e.g. Productivity Commission

Consultancies increasingly provide policy advice.

VALUE SYSTEMS

My value system is broadly liberal-conservative, with an increasing tendency towards being more purely classical liberal.

I support

• Limited, democratic government, including supporting federalism
• Market-based economic system with strong private property rights and the rule of law
• Pluralism in public debate
• Use of science and evidence in developing public policy

CURRENT RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES

• Indigenous issues and reconciliation
• Biotechnology and genetically-modified food
• Media and Broadcasting policy
• Environmental issues
• Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)
• Energy policy and regulation of the energy market
• Regional policy and development
• Budgetary and fiscal policy
• Welfare

SHIFT IN POLICY CONCERNS

There has been some shift in concern in general policy, and activity, away from economic focus to social and environmental concerns.

Economic policy has become less contentious

• Fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of Command Economies
• Bipartisan nature of economic reform
• Success in dealing with Asian crisis and increased productivity

Politics has shifted towards other concerns.

Rise of NGOs, particularly advocacy groups, has changed the nature of politics.

MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

With increasing prosperity, people's concerns are moving up the hierarchy of needs.

Self-actualisation
Self-esteem
Social needs
Safety
Physiological needs

The nature of politics is changing to reflect that.

EVALUATING SUCCESS

Measures of success are a matter of output and outcomes.

Output

• Publications produced
• Media appearances
• Citations, etc.

Outcomes

• Direction of public policy in the longer term.