2020-02-28
A future fair to everyone, and the planet
By Arthur Rosenwald
So now for our own version of the Green New Deal. It needs to be based on new economic principles for the people of the world that we have not yet completely defined. It needs to spell out a way towards a future without fossil fuels. A future, fair to everyone. An economic system which looks after all people, rather than a few rich persons.
A realisation that neo-liberal policies have failed to provide for all, failed to achieve peace and failed to stop a climate disaster, coming our way.
A realisation that neo-liberal policies have resulted in greater inequality between people and a total disregard for nature in general.
A realisation that people cannot cover their responsibilities by sub-contracting them to big governments.
To remedy we must decide that from now on, ordinary people should rule the world as individuals in small social groups in efficient circular economies.
For Australia this can mean:
- Public (community) ownership of all essential services, including all financial services and banking, water and electricity supply, public transport and waste treatment.
- Immediate start on phasing out all fossil fuel extraction and usage by 2030, including usage by transport.
- Immediate re-employment of redundant fossil fuel workers, including the education for this, if needed.
- A Job and Education Guarantee to employ everyone who wants to work, creating a workforce which is large enough to build the entire Green infrastructure we need for a clean future. This is to include tree planting, retrofitting the housing stock to reduce energy use, all waste recycled in-country, all rain water and waste water to be re-used, etc.
- A commitment to provide housing for all who need it. This will be a combination of public housing and subsidised community co-operative housing projects. The more cheap houses we build, the lower the rents become for everybody else too.
- A shift to circular economies, run by locals. Giving local communities more autonomy. Stopping the growth of the big cities and encouraging migrants to settle in the countryside. Phasing out State governments.
- Restricting the power of the National Government to one of setting the rules, monetary management, disaster relief and foreign affairs.
- Public/community/Indigenous ownership of all new mining and phasing out resource ownership by large corporations.
- Sponsoring and supporting local business to process mineral resources and livestock in-country. Generally reducing Australia's reliance on multi-national corporations.
- An overhaul of the taxation system to ensure that all loopholes are closed.
- A social security system taking proper care of all people and their families who, for whatever reason, cannot look after themselves.
The funds for all this, mostly public expenditure, will come from reductions of existing grants and subsidies to business, a corporate tax increase to 35%, royalty increases, super taxes on continuing extractive industries and super taxes for people, earning more than $100,000 per year.
In addition, as a currency issuing country, there is no limit to the amount of money, our government can spend to pay for products, labour and services, produced in Australia.
Header credit: www.thwink.org
[Opinions expressed are those of the author and not official policy of Greens WA]