Green Issue Editorial August 2023

2023-09-04

By the Green Issue Editors

The articles in this Green Issue explore the theme of how governments and others can lead the population down pathways that are ultimately detrimental to those populations.

A major recent example is the Robodebt saga, whereby calculation of social welfare debts was automated resulting in immense grief for those wrongly debited. Mark Brogan provides an in-depth analysis of what went wrong and suggests how to avoid such dubious pathways in future.

Rob Delves explores the erosion of workers rights over recent decades and advocates for greater workplace democracy, providing examples of reforms that would be beneficial to Australia.

Since World War 2, Australia’s defence and security policy has relied on the assumption that the USA will protect us if we contribute to their military adventures. This has led to debacles for all concerned, in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. But, lessons not yet learned, as Chris Johansen asserts that we are sleep walking into another debacle via AUKUS.

Beata Stasak relates a personal story illustrating how facts can be lost in translation and mislead people, sometimes intentionally.

Over the last two months our Greens MPs have been busier than ever, addressing a wide range important issues. Included are reports from Senators Dorinda Cox and Jordon Steele-John and our lone representative in the WA Parliament Dr Brad Pettitt MLC.

Header photo: Hon Brad Pettitt, MLC hosting the Climate Positive Perth round table with First Nations Elders.