It seems to me Albo doesn’t have to do much more on the hustings. Labor could kick back, put their feet up, and entertain themselves watching Peter Dutton methodically implode the Liberal Party’s last hopes of government. He’s not leading them into an election — he’s marching them toward a full-blown reckoning.
When this cycle began, I figured Labor might scrape through with a minority government. But at this rate, I’d be more surprised if they didn’t hold onto a solid majority. The Coalition, meanwhile, is stuck trying to sell stale fear to a country that’s grown tired of being told what to fear and who to blame.
Clive Palmer — bless his budget — isn’t building a movement with his Crumpets for Patriots stunt. It’s a wrecking ball, aimed squarely at the conservative flank. Teals, independents, and a wave of capable, community-first voices are reshaping Australian politics in real time, while The Greens — well, they’re still trying to get a seat at the cannabis law reform table. But they’re a little late, and their offering’s a little light.
And sure, Bob Katter will hold his seat until he rides off into the sunset on a horse named Common Sense. Hanson? She’ll hoover up the usual mix of anti-this-and-that voters, duking it out with Palmer’s pastry posse. It’s all becoming an absurdist fringe festival.
But here’s the rub: the system itself — the one we inherited from the British with powdered wigs and parliamentary pantomimes — is overdue for a revolution of values and vision.
We need to start again.
Australia needs a 21st-century democratic renewal. Imagine a system where:
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Drug use is treated as a health issue, not a crime scene. Cannabis is legalized and regulated, with local councils issuing grow licenses, and the revenue flows directly into our hospitals and mental health services.
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Psychedelic-assisted therapy is publicly funded, evidence-based, and professionally delivered. The same substances that politicians once demonized are now healing veterans, trauma survivors, and everyday Australians who’ve been let down by traditional meds.
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The entire cannabis industry is publicly owned, with our own Australian/NZ growers and manufacturers supplying both medicinal and recreational markets — not big pharma from the U.S. and Canada.
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The economy is rebalanced through wealth taxes, public ownership of critical services, and community co-ops. Imagine a world where the postie delivers your parcel and your electricity is 100% renewable and government-owned.
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We finally recognize First Nations sovereignty, not just in symbolic gestures, but with economic self-determination, cultural autonomy, and full treaty recognition.
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The war on drugs ends, and the war on mental illness begins — with compassion, research, and public health leadership.
This isn’t fantasy. It’s already happening in pieces around the world — from Portugal to Norway, from New Zealand to Canada. We just need the courage to write the next chapter ourselves.
So yes, watch Dutton dance, and watch the right wing fracture under the weight of its own contradictions. But while they fight for relevance, let’s fight for a future that makes sense — one rooted in fairness, health, sustainability, and actual democracy.
Because if not now — when?
Written with digital assistance from an eerily articulate AI — HAL’s chattier, less murderous cousin.
