Federal Election 2025: Back to the future or Real and Sustainable Change?

The comments section of a Guardian article, generally a Labor-friendly publication, not only revealed some hard truths, but also highlighted the failure of the major political parties in tackling the issues that need to be addressed.

Below is a sample of the comments:

Where are the structural reforms, in Australia's public service, in Australia's tax laws, in Australia's legal system, that is decades overdue? Australian politicians live as though we are in the 1960's and we are not. This is 2025 with unique challenges and I had hoped to see a contribution towards the welfare of future generations and a solid remedy for current generations. All I see is same same and more of the same. Political manoeuvring (sic) to get and keep office - nothing for Australia and its population. Shame on all those responsible. Deep shame.

So in an election year with a Labor on the back foot, they dig deep into the neoliberal toolkit for yes - hooray - more tax cuts. The obsession in Australian politics with tax cuts feels oh so American. Not to be outdone in the regressiveness (sic), the Coalition thought long and hard overnight and came back with a retort: discounted petrol. Wow. The bar is low.

Again - the tax cuts are fine. But they are once again a piecemeal approach to policymaking. Patches to address systemic issues to stave off making hard decisions, and starting to table systemic reforms. Our entire basis of our income is skewed, and dangerously unsustainable. The PRRT needs to die, as does negative gearing ...

This all just amounts to PR manoeuvring (sic) between two establishment parties that both ultimately conform to the same underlying ideological constraints.

With all the very real political and economic crises faced by Australia in 2025, what we get from Labor and LNP alike is just clever tinkering around the edges for electoral advantage. Meanwhile, the deep rooted systemic issues driving the long-term growth in inequality and the burgeoning housing crisis are largely ignored. As they say, it's like treating a bullet wound with a sticking plaster.

Open Democracy provides the platform to focus the attention of politicians on the issues that need to be addressed, and this starts with sending a clear message:

Let's stop with the “clever tinkering at the edges for electoral advantage”, we've had enough.

It is time tackle the deep rooted systemic issues driving long-term growth in inequality, housing inaffordability, skyrocketing cost-of-living giving rise to the shameful statistic that 38% of all Australians are now living below the poverty line.

It is time to give all Australians a greater say in government decisions through open democracy? (AGREE/DISAGREE)

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The Big Issues

Listed below are just some of the big issues the major parties, wedged between lobby group pressure and political expediency, refuse to consider.

These issues are included in no particular order and serve to stimulate debate and get the public into the practice of using PByT for feedback, voting and analysis.

Other issues will emerge naturally and, through the process, the most important issues will surface to the top as well as the solutions.

Address Structural Debt Issue?

Australia's Energy Future: Time to stop going around in circles?

End bracket creep for a fairer tax system for all?

Reform Negative Gearing & Capital Gains discount?

Super-profits tax?

Gas royalties at point of extraction?

Ending Medicare and NDIS fraud and corruption?

Cancel AUKUS pact?

Address Housing and Productivity Crisis?

End the scourge of the lobby industry?

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About PByT Surveys & Open Democracy

The PByT surveys represent a rolling snapshot of global sentiment from real people whose identity has been verified. The results can be analyzed in a variety of ways to get a better understanding of key issues utilizing Bayesian statistics - a mathematical concept that updates beliefs in light of new data or evidence.

As a result, these surveys have the potential to be the most definitive resources on some of the most critically important issues of modern times and serve as the basis for the idea of "open democracy."

Have your say and help shape the interconnected world of tomorrow based on trust, mutual-aid and cooperation.