Introduction by Bronwyn KellyIn this series of the Australia Together Podcast we’re interviewing a range of people about the issues we can resolve by developing a long term integrated plan for a better future for Australia. We’re looking into a draft of such a plan – Australia Together.Last week I published an article summarising the key strategies in Australia Together for stopping climate change.In today’s episode I interview prominent science writer and researcher Julian Cribb on some key strategies that we will need in Australia Together for dealing with the significant environmental disasters we are facing in the age of climate change. We focus on strategies for transitioning our current unsustainable agriculture systems to systems that create an endless, renewable food supply for everyone.Read Australia Together at https://www.austcfp.com.au/australia-together This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bronwynkelly.substack.com

In this series of the Australia Together Podcast we’re interviewing a range of people about the issues we can resolve by developing a long term integrated plan for a better future for Australia. We’re looking into a draft of such a plan – Australia Together.In today’s episode David Kelly interviews Bronwyn Kelly about one of the big ticket items in the plan – the need for constitutional reform. Bronwyn talks about how Australia’s current Constitution is a barrier to democracy in Australia but also how this can be fixed by Australians themselves if they organise collaboratively to build a new Constitution where the people of Australia can have a rightful share of power as equals.Find information about this process in the Fact Sheet on the ACFP website called Making a new Australian Constitution – by collaboration. https://www.austcfp.com.au/collaborative-constitutional-conventionFor a summary of targets and strategies for constitutional reform view this article: Looking into Australia Together Part 2: Strategies for reform of Australia’s Constitution. https://bronwynkelly.substack.com/p/looking-into-australia-together-part-56d?r=2e33fk This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bronwynkelly.substack.com

Introduction from Bronwyn Kelly:Australia Together is the nation’s first long term, integrated plan for a better future for everyone. It is being progressively developed by Australians for Australians so that we can tell our governments what we want them to do for us as a cohesive, democratic community.The plan is in its starting draft phase but it already contains data and information about more than 300 indicators of our current wellbeing, environmental health, economic strength and resilience, democratic health, international standing, national security, and our capacity for peace. It also contains Targets and Strategies for every one of those indicators. When we put these together they add up to the safe solutions we need to overcome the challenges.Key to those safe solutions are the Strategies for fixing Australia’s housing crisis. If Australians are to be able to deal with other challenges in the 21st century like climate change and democratic decline, they will need to ensure everyone has security in basic needs like housing.Who’s speaking in this episode?In today’s podcast ACFP Founder Bronwyn Kelly is speaking with Maiy Azize, Deputy Director of Anglicare Australia, spokesperson for the national campaign group on housing, Everybody’s Home, and author of a recent report recommending changes to tax and investment policies for housing.Browse the last Issue of Australia Together - Issue No. 7 - here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bronwynkelly.substack.com

Introduction from Bronwyn Kelly:Australians are due to go to the polls in 2025 to elect their 48th federal parliament.Australian Community Futures Planning (ACFP) is working to ensure it’s easy for everyone to find the factual information they need to decide whether the current parliament has been working well for them or not, and then decide who they’ll vote for in the next parliament.The information they need will be provided in The State of Australia 2025. This is an independent report to be collated by ACFP which will contain the evidence about whether, during the term of the current parliament and government, Australia moved towards or further away from the future that Australians have said they prefer. This preferred future is described in Australia Together, Australia’s first long term, integrated plan for a better future for our nation. This plan is not emerging from political processes or parties. It’s being developed by Australians for Australians.Last week I posted an article on how Australia Together helps Australians to elect parliaments that work for them. Todays’ podcast is the first in a new series of conversations expanding on that article.Over the next few weeks I’ll be following through with more articles and podcast conversations about some of the most important Targets and Strategies currently in Australia Together. They’ll cover strategies for: fixing Australia’s housing crisis; reforming Australia’s Constitution; stopping climate change; achieving peace, security and independent defence of Australia; ensuring prosperity through lifelong educational opportunities; establishing a National Accord on Wealth, Welfare and Wellbeing between Australians and their parliaments and governments, including a social wage or "universal basic income" for all adult Australians; and reforming Australia’s electoral systems and their funding.Australia Together is the nation’s first community designed and driven long term, integrated plan for a better future. It’s designed to help Australians make the best future we can imagine in the 2020s a reality by 2050 or sooner.Browse the latest Issue of Australia Together - Issue No. 7 - here.Who’s speaking in this episode?Today’s episode features a conversation between ACFP’s Founder Dr Bronwyn Kelly and Dr David Kelly.David is the Executive Director Editorial and Production at ACFP. As an academic David worked in the Department of English at Sydney University, where he pioneered interdisciplinary studies in literature and cinema. He became Chair of the Department of English and Head of Film Studies, and for many years was the editor of the academic journal Sydney Studies in English. In 2015 he established the Camera-Stylo Conference, an international event for the study of literature and cinema. He is Bronwyn’s husband and partner in the development of both Australia Together and Australian Community Futures Planning.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bronwynkelly.substack.com

Find the full transcript: Episodes 40, 41, 42 & 43: Saving Australian democracy and sovereignty by building a new Constitution - An essay in four parts by Bronwyn Kelly.Introduction from Bronwyn Kelly:Subscribers familiar with my writing will be aware of my most recent book, The People’s Constitution: the path to empowerment of Australians in a 21st century democracy. I’d like to thank readers for their positive comments. But now it is time to think about how we might begin to make a people’s constitution a reality.In Episodes 40, 41, 42 and 43 of the Australia Together Podcast I’m reading a new major essay which builds on much of the research in The People’s Constitution, taking it to the next step. The essay sets out a practical way forward for the making of a new Constitution by the collaboration of Australians. I suggest in the essay that if we learn how to do this well as a nation - and we can - then we can rescue our democracy and sovereignty, both of which are very much at risk of loss at the moment.I pose four questions in this essay and suggest answers that will help Australians transition from a constitutional monarchy to a constitutional democracy wherein we can achieve a peaceful coexistence of sovereignties and self-determining political equals. The questions are:1. Why does Australia need a new Constitution? (Part 1, Episode 40)2. What’s wrong with our democracy? (Part 2, Episode 41)3. How can Australians take back their democracy and sovereignty? (Part 3, Episode 42)4. How can Australians achieve a peaceful coexistence of sovereignties and self-determining political equals? (Part 4, Episode 43)What’s in this Episode?In Episode 43 I read Part 4 of the essay on Saving Australian Democracy and Sovereignty by Building a New Constitution. I ask, How can Australians achieve a peaceful coexistence of sovereignties and self-determining political equals? Short answer: by establishing terms of trust with the parliaments they elect. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bronwynkelly.substack.com

Find the full transcript: Episodes 40, 41, 42 & 43: Saving Australian democracy and sovereignty by building a new Constitution - An essay in four parts by Bronwyn Kelly.Introduction from Bronwyn Kelly:Subscribers familiar with my writing will be aware of my most recent book, The People’s Constitution: the path to empowerment of Australians in a 21st century democracy. I’d like to thank readers for their positive comments. But now it is time to think about how we might begin to make a people’s constitution a reality.In Episodes 40, 41, 42 and 43 of the Australia Together Podcast I’m reading a new major essay which builds on much of the research in The People’s Constitution, taking it to the next step. The essay sets out a practical way forward for the making of a new Constitution by the collaboration of Australians. I suggest in the essay that if we learn how to do this well as a nation - and we can - then we can rescue our democracy and sovereignty, both of which are very much at risk of loss at the moment.I pose four questions in this essay and suggest answers that will help Australians transition from a constitutional monarchy to a constitutional democracy wherein we can achieve a peaceful coexistence of sovereignties and self-determining political equals. The questions are:1. Why does Australia need a new Constitution? (Part 1, Episode 40)2. What’s wrong with our democracy? (Part 2, Episode 41)3. How can Australians take back their democracy and sovereignty? (Part 3, Episode 42)4. How can Australians achieve a peaceful coexistence of sovereignties and self-determining political equals? (Part 4, Episode 43)What’s in this Episode?In Episode 42 I read Part 3 of the essay on Saving Australian Democracy and Sovereignty by Building a New Constitution. I ask, How can Australians take back their democracy and sovereignty? Short answer: by establishing terms of trust with the parliaments they elect.Full transcript of this series on Saving Australian Democracy and Sovereignty by Building a New ConstitutionClick here for a full transcript of Episodes 40, 41, 42 and 43 on Saving Australian Democracy and Sovereignty by Building a New Constitution. Or find the transcript at the ACFP website at https://www.austcfp.com.au/major-essaysOther links: National Agreement on Human Rights and Obligations. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bronwynkelly.substack.com

Find the full transcript: Episodes 40, 41, 42 & 43: Saving Australian democracy and sovereignty by building a new Constitution - An essay in four parts by Bronwyn Kelly.Introduction from Bronwyn Kelly:Subscribers familiar with my writing will be aware of my most recent book, The People’s Constitution: the path to empowerment of Australians in a 21st century democracy. I’d like to thank readers for their positive comments. But now it is time to think about how we might begin to make a people’s constitution a reality.In Episodes 40, 41, 42 and 43 of the Australia Together Podcast I’m reading a new major essay which builds on much of the research in The People’s Constitution, taking it to the next step. The essay sets out a practical way forward for the making of a new Constitution by the collaboration of Australians. I suggest in the essay that if we learn how to do this well as a nation - and we can - then we can rescue our democracy and sovereignty, both of which are very much at risk of loss at the moment.I pose four questions in this essay and suggest answers that will help Australians transition from a constitutional monarchy to a constitutional democracy wherein we can achieve a peaceful coexistence of sovereignties and self-determining political equals. The questions are:1. Why does Australia need a new Constitution? (Part 1, Episode 40)2. What’s wrong with our democracy? (Part 2, Episode 41)3. How can Australians take back their democracy and sovereignty? (Part 3, Episode 42)4. How can Australians achieve a peaceful coexistence of sovereignties and self-determining political equals? (Part 4, Episode 43)What’s in this Episode?In Episode 41 I read Part 2 of the essay on Saving Australian Democracy and Sovereignty by Building a New Constitution. I ask, What’s wrong with our democracy? Short answer: it’s exclusive and it prohibits self-determination. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bronwynkelly.substack.com

Find the full transcript: Episodes 40, 41, 42 & 43: Saving Australian democracy and sovereignty by building a new Constitution - An essay in four parts by Bronwyn Kelly.Introduction from Bronwyn Kelly:Subscribers and others familiar with my writing will be aware of my most recent book, The People’s Constitution: the path to empowerment of Australians in a 21st century democracy. I’d like to thank readers for their positive comments. But now it is time to think about how we might begin to make a people’s constitution a reality.In this and my next three posts on the Australia Together Podcast I’ll be reading a new major essay which builds on much of the research in The People’s Constitution, taking it to the next step. The essay sets out a practical way forward for the making of a new Constitution by the collaboration of Australians. I suggest in the essay that if we learn how to do this well as a nation - and we can - then we can rescue our democracy and sovereignty, both of which are very much at risk of loss at the moment.It will not be surprising that the new type of Constitution I’m proposing is one which gives a reasonable share of power to a party in our democracy who currently has none – the people. But to establish some practical ways of achieving progress towards that, I pose four questions in this essay and I’ll suggest answers over the next four episodes of the Podcast. The questions are:1. Why does Australia need a new Constitution? (Part 1, Episode 40)2. What’s wrong with our democracy? (Part 2, Episode 41)3. How can Australians take back their democracy and sovereignty? (Part 3, Episode 42)4. How can Australians achieve a peaceful coexistence of sovereignties and self-determining political equals? (Part 4, Episode 43)At the outset, it is worth noting that the answer to the last two questions is the same: the answer to how we can take back our democracy and sovereignty and achieve a peaceful coexistence of sovereignties and self-determining political equals is for the people of Australia to establish what I call “non-exclusive terms of trust” with the parliaments they elect. This will need to be done by mounting what in other writing I’ve called a National Collaborative Process for the Development of a New Australian Constitution. This is a process that should be run by the people of Australia, independent of politics. The function of this essay is to help develop an understanding of the sorts of statements we will need to include in these terms of trust and how any and all Australians can become involved in the process of specifying them.Listeners will note that the essay starts from a premise that Australians may well have already lost control over the one power they had under the Constitution – the power to choose who shall govern them. It is likely that this premise will be disputed, particularly by Australia’s two major political parties, although I cite substantial evidence for it. But disputes about it do not detract from the need to reverse or at least stem the loss, and on this basis I have suggested in the essay that the most urgent questions of our times are:How do we wrest back control over the choice of who governs us and how do we establish some control over what they may rightly do with power?If we answer these questions well, we can save our democracy and put the nation on a path to achievement of a peaceful coexistence of cultures, self-determining political equals, and sovereignties in a post-colonial world.What’s in this Episode?In Episode 40 I read Part 1 of the essay on Saving Australian Democracy and Sovereignty by Building a New Constitution. I ask, Why does Australia need a new Constitution? The short answer is: to save our democracy and sovereignty. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bronwynkelly.substack.com

Introduction from Bronwyn Kelly:On 28 September 2023, representing Australian Community Futures Planning, I addressed the federal Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights as a witness in its Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework. I made a case in support of a Human Rights Act but stated that the Constitution is a barrier to security of the human rights of Australians.After my appearance at the Inquiry, Indigenous independent Senator Lidia Thorpe asked me two Questions on Notice. They’re really great questions and the answers go to the heart of how we should understand: (a) the very limited form of democracy we have in Australia, (b) how that is impacting our human rights, and (c) what we can do to make the Constitution fit for a 21st century democracy – one where everyone has political equality and is secure in all the human rights they need. These answers have been published and are available on the federal parliamentary website at https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Human_Rights/HumanRightsFramework/Additional_DocumentsSenator Thorpe’s questions were: (1) Can you confirm your submission that unless a Bill or Charter of rights is constitutionally enshrined, there is no domestic legal way to hold the executive government accountable for passing laws that abuse human rights beyond the government of the day choosing how they are held accountable for breaches through [sic.]? and (2) What is the biggest danger in pursuing the weaker AHRC [Australian Human Rights Commission] proposal as opposed to the constitutional model?What’s in this Episode?In Episodes 37 and 38 of this podcast series on Insights into Human Rights and Democracy in Australia, I provided my answer to Senator Thorpe’s first question. In this Episode 39 I answer her second question. In summary, I have suggested that the the biggest danger of “pursuing the weaker AHRC proposal as opposed to the constitutional model” is the risk of executive overreach which has the potential both to eliminate the democratic rights of Australians, and expand the governmental abuse of rights already evident on the record.I also list and substantiate five reasons why Australians must all have human rights in the Constitution. In no particular order they are:(1) A stable treaty with First Nations will not be possible unless human rights are first assured for all Australians equally in the Constitution.(2) Future referendums for constitutional amendment are unlikely to succeed unless Australians are first assured that human rights are the property of all as equals.(3) Australians would trust both parliaments and legislation more if they knew that laws were being made consistent with their stated rights and interests.(4) Unless Australians have rights in the Constitution, we cannot have responsible government.(5) Unless Australians have rights in the Constitution, we cannot restore a proper balance of power between the parliament, the executive government, and the courts.Full transcript of this series on Insights into Human Rights and Democracy in AustraliaClick here for a full transcript of Episodes 37, 38 and 39 on Insights into Human Rights and Democracy in Australia.Or find the transcript at the ACFP website at https://www.austcfp.com.au/supporting-activities This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bronwynkelly.substack.com

Introduction from Bronwyn Kelly:On 28 September 2023, representing Australian Community Futures Planning, I addressed the federal Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights as a witness in its Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework. I made a case in support of a Human Rights Act but stated that the Constitution is a barrier to security of the human rights of Australians.After my appearance at the Inquiry, Indigenous independent Senator Lidia Thorpe asked me two Questions on Notice. They’re really great questions and the answers go to the heart of how we should understand: (a) the very limited form of democracy we have in Australia, (b) how that is impacting our human rights, and (c) what we can do to make the Constitution fit for a 21st century democracy – one where everyone has political equality and is secure in all the human rights they need. These answers have been published and are available on the federal parliamentary website at https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Human_Rights/HumanRightsFramework/Additional_DocumentsSenator Thorpe’s questions were: (1) Can you confirm your submission that unless a Bill or Charter of rights is constitutionally enshrined, there is no domestic legal way to hold the executive government accountable for passing laws that abuse human rights beyond the government of the day choosing how they are held accountable for breaches through [sic.]? and (2) What is the biggest danger in pursuing the weaker AHRC [Australian Human Rights Commission] proposal as opposed to the constitutional model?What’s in this Episode? In Episode 37 of this podcast series on I provided Part 1 of my answer to Senator Thorpe’s first question. In this Episode 38 I’m providing Part 2 of that answer. I’m also providing a more detailed answer to a question I received from the Chair of the Committee, Mr Josh Burns MP. He asked:"No member of the committee is a member of the executive but, in your submission and your opening statement, you talk about how a member of the committee would feel if a future executive were to make contrary decisions. I would put to you that absolutely they should have the right to; that any future government should have the right to completely disband any piece of legislation or make changes, as they see fit, and there shouldn't be a restriction on any future government making decisions as the government of the day. You speak about protecting the democratic rights of Australians, and to not have that would be a gross violation of the democratic rights of Australians, wouldn't it?" [My emphasis and Mr Burns’.]My answer to Mr Burns can be summarised as follows: he is describing autocratic rule, not democracy. Governments should not - and under Australia’s Constitution do not - have the power to “disband” any piece of legislation. That is the right of the parliament. Mr Burns’ rendering of “democracy” undermines the rightful balance of power that should pertain under the Constitution. Governments have been able to sideline the parliament and completely neuter the courts in their ability to protect Australians from abuses of human rights by governments. In this episode I explain how this idea of the supposed “absolute” power and rights of executive governments is fundamentally undemocratic and has opened the way for loss of human rights in Australia.I go on to make a suggestion about the type of constitutional reform we need to remedy the situation before Australians lose all access to their human rights in law. The mode of reform is not a Bill or Charter of Rights in the Constitution (partly beneficial though that may be). The necessary form of constitutional law on human rights is a National Agreement between all enfranchised Australians on Human Rights and Obligations. This is a different form of constitutional law to a charter or bill of rights. It is a much safer, fairer and just form of law on human rights in a democracy.Full transcript of this series on Insights into Human Rights and Democracy in Australia: Click here for a full transcript of Episodes 37, 38 and 39 on Insights into Human Rights and Democracy in Australia. Or find the transcript at the ACFP website at https://www.austcfp.com.au/supporting-activitiesFind the seven-step program of nation-wide community engagement and collaboration to build a Constitution fit for a 21st century democracy of political equals. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bronwynkelly.substack.com