It’s a question I have asked many times and I’ve yet to come up with an answer, other than we are largely to blame for the problem.

The question is, how do we get our political leaders to look beyond the next election? How do we encourage them to have a long-term vision? 

The problem is, we the people don’t look beyond the next election ourselves! We constantly complain about the lack of vision but God-forbid that vision should involve short-term pain for long-term gain or even worse, the greater good!

Troy Bramston in The Australian today interviewed former Victorian Premier, Jeff Kennett 20 years after he left office.

Kennett quite rightly asks “where have all the leaders gone?” but is leadership today as simple as it was 20 years ago? Kennett had a singular style of leadership in essence he said to his electorate “you hired me to do a job, now get out of the way and let me do it. If you don’t like how I did it, then tell me at the next election” Eventually, Victorians told him they’d had enough and elected Steve Bracks. Are we willing to do the same today? Why not?

Jeff Kennett offered a five-point manifesto that he thinks our current leaders need to adopt and it goes as follows;

1. Achieving a greater understanding of, and respect for, our indigenous heritage, providing recognition in the Constitution and facilitating the establishment of an indigenous voice to parliament;

2. Dealing with climate change by transitioning to more renewable energy use in a responsible way without putting industry, employment and family security at risk;

3. A long-term energy policy that provides security and affordability, prioritises exploration and exploitation of our natural resources, and develops initiatives such as a gas pipeline across the continent;

4. A national water policy that includes building dams to collect and move water around the country to productive lands while opening up new lands, and encouraging better recycling; and

5. A national agriculture policy that expands production and facilitates Australia being a food bowl for Asia.

Is he on the money? If so, are we willing to get out of the way and let it happen?

It&rsquo;s a question I have asked many times and I&rsquo;ve yet to come up with an answer, other than we are largely to blame for the problem.
The question is, how do we get our political leaders to look beyond the next election? How do we encourage them to have a long-term vision?&nbsp;
The problem is, we the people don&rsquo;t look beyond the next election ourselves! We constantly complain about the lack of vision but God-forbid that vision should involve short-term pain for long-term gain or even worse, the greater good!
Troy Bramston in The Australian today interviewed former Victorian Premier, Jeff Kennett 20 years after he left office.
Kennett quite rightly asks &ldquo;where have all the leaders gone?&rdquo; but is leadership today as simple as it was 20 years ago? Kennett had a singular style of leadership in essence he said to his electorate &ldquo;you hired me to do a job, now get out of the way and let me do it. If you don&rsquo;t like how I did it, then tell me at the next election&rdquo; Eventually, Victorians told him they&rsquo;d had enough and elected Steve Bracks. Are we willing to do the same today? Why not?
Jeff Kennett offered a five-point manifesto that he thinks our current leaders need to adopt and it goes as follows;
1. Achieving a greater understanding of, and respect for, our indigenous heritage, providing recognition in the Constitution and facilitating the establishment of an indigenous voice to parliament;
2. Dealing with climate change by transitioning to more renewable energy use in a responsible way without putting industry, employment and family security at risk;
3. A long-term energy policy that provides security and affordability, prioritises exploration and exploitation of our natural resources, and develops initiatives such as a gas pipeline across the continent;
4. A national water policy that includes building dams to collect and move water around the country to productive lands while opening up new lands, and encouraging better recycling; and
5. A national agriculture policy that expands production and facilitates Australia being a food bowl for Asia.
Is he on the money? If so, are we willing to get out of the way and let it happen?

Catch up on Australia by Night with Stephen Cenatiempo!

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