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Kevin Rudd
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Kevin Rudd at the National Press Club of Australia

Kevin Rudd’s new book, ‘The Case for Courage’:

‘For some time, Australia’s democracy has been slowly sliding into disrepair. The nation’s major policy challenges go unaddressed, our economic future is uncertain and political corruption is becoming normalised. It’s tempting, but distracting, to point to the usual list of reasons, from the declining calibre of the political class to the growing polarisation of politics. But we can’t understand the current predicament of our democracy without recognising the central role of Murdoch’s national media monopoly. In Queensland, where national elections are determined, he owns thirteen of the state’s fourteen newspapers. All his papers are loss-making and retained for political influence only; nationally, they act as a Liberal Party protection racket, providing zero accountability on Coalition corruption and incompetence. Together with the Liberal Party, the Murdoch media cultivates a climate of national anxiety, fear and anger through relentless campaigns on deficit, debt and the threat to Australia from ever-changing but always nefarious foreign interests. Their goal is an anxious Australia, reinforced by the latest campaign applications of political neuroscience, permanently predisposing the electorate towards the reassurance of having conservatives in power.

For these reasons, there is no longer a level playing field in Australian politics. We won’t see another progressive government in Canberra until we deal with this cancer in our democracy. Three more things must change for Labor to be returned to office. Labor must significantly broaden its political base; demolish the entire rationale for the conservative political project now that the Liberal Party has abandoned its position on debt, deficit and government intervention in the economy; and put forward a clear plan dealing with the challenges ahead: recurring pandemics; demographic decline; technological disruption undermining economic competitiveness and employment; the rise of China; and the continued economic and environmental devastations of climate change. All four tasks are essential. All four will require great political courage to bring about fundamental change. And now is the time for women and men of courage to act.’

 

 

 

Bill Bowtell and Kevin Rudd
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Bill Bowtell & Kevin Rudd – In the National Interest

IN CONVERSATION WITH FRAN KELLY

Join Bill Bowtell, the Hon. Kevin Rudd and Fran Kelly for a conversation around the new essay series In the National Interest.

In Unmasked: the Politics of Pandemics, Bill Bowtell draws on his four decades of experience in the global and local politics of public health to examine why some countries got it right with coronavirus while others collapsed into misery and chaos. He looks closely at the critical weeks when poor planning brought Australia to the brink of disaster, until the Australian people forced their governments to put public health before politics. Unmasked reveals how and why our politicians failed us during the greatest public health crisis of this century to date.

In The Case for Courage, the Honourable Kevin Rudd writes that we can’t understand the current predicament of our democracy without recognising the central role of Murdoch’s national media monopoly. He lays out three key tasks required for the Australian Labor party to be returned to office; Labor must significantly broaden its political base; demolish the entire rationale for the conservative political project now that the Liberal Party has abandoned its position on debt, deficit and government intervention in the economy; and put forward a clear plan dealing with the challenges ahead. Now is the time for women and men of courage to act.

Free RSVPs essential to receive Zoom link.

 

 

 

 

The Case for Courage
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Kevin Rudd in Conversation

Reading’s Carlton is delighted to be hosting a conversation between former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Radio National’s ‘Big Ideas’ presenter Paul Barclay to discuss the future intersects of politics, democracy, and the media in Australia.

For some time, Australia’s democracy has been slowly sliding into disrepair. It’s tempting, but distracting, to point to the usual list of reasons – anything from the declining calibre of the political class to the growing polarisation of politics. In reality, we can’t begin to understand the current predicament of our ailing democracy without recognising the central role of Murdoch’s media monopoly. Join us at this live and in-person event to discuss this very issue.


Tickets are $25/$30 per person and include a copy of Kevin Rudd’s book, The Case for Courage. Places are strictly limited.

Please book here.

Please note this event will be recorded for Radio National’s Big Ideas show.