Anthony Albanese Scott Morrison
Labor leader Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison (Image: AAP/Lukas Coch)

On your marks. Get set. And we’re off on another election campaign, even before the starter’s gun is fired.

Already it’s tracking like those past campaigns, where small visions are matched by big-spending promises. Expect that to play on loop over the next few weeks. And on both sides the effort will be put into a chunk of marginal seats that might deliver gold on election night.

But is that a vision for Australia? Or a race to the Lodge? What should we expect in terms of inspiration and innovation for the future? That question is crucial, particularly at a time when a pandemic has stolen lives and jobs and hope from so many Australians.

Yesterday my colleague Bernard Keane articulated how voters are entitled to transparency and integrity, strong debate, limited adverting, cost-effective campaigns and a vision to meet the big challenges our nation faces.

So what are those challenges, and what party will address them in a substantial way?

China

This is one of our biggest challenges — politically, economically and security-wise. It’s the rising power in the world and we are joined at the hip with the other major power in the world, the United States. China appears to be treating Australia as a proxy for the US, imposing unfair trade sanctions and spycraft against us. Conflict isn’t inevitable, but it will take delicate leadership to navigate between these two powers, all the while protecting our sovereign interest. What party will best address this challenge? And how crucial of an issue do our leaders see it? Watch this space.

Climate change

It’s time. And this comes down to a competition between the parties to come up with a course of action that is acceptable to the other, which demonstrates real progress, doesn’t smash the economy, doesn’t turn out the lights, and protects those parts of the country particularly vulnerable to climate change (i.e. northern Australia). It’s easy to talk about, but concrete action is needed, and voters have to believe promises will translate into genuine commitment. 

Reconciliation

Could this be the last generation able to achieve real reconciliation? Future generations made up of a more culturally diverse society may lack the same impetus to change the status quo. We talk about closing the gap. It is not closing. And we need to do more. Let’s see how much oxygen is given to this issue during the campaign, particularly in marginal seats which will determine what party ends up in government. How much of an issue will it be for our leaders in those seats?

Mental health

Medicos say up to 80% of their waiting rooms are made up of patients who will require some assistance with mental health. COVID-19 has left a long and ugly tail. Young children have not learnt to share. Others turn toddler before seeing smiles hidden behind masks. Queues for teen psychologists climb to more than a year, as eating disorders, self-harm and suicide rates rise. Our aged, trapped in isolation for months, are lost. Others have closed the door on their businesses and their futures. And a few million here and there will not help this looming tsunami. Let’s see if either party really understands the depths of this crisis, and offers leadership to see our way out of it. 

Education

For decades we’ve been arguing that we need match-fit school graduates who can take on the world. And for decades we’ve fallen short. Why? And how can we say the current curriculum is what is needed when it is not delivering what it should — clever, curious, well-adjusted, articulate school leavers, who can think critically and work as part of a team. This isn’t a problem with a quick fix, but billions has been spent over decades tinkering at the edges. It’s got to stop. Our children deserve that. And so does our nation.

Yesterday Prime Minister Scott Morrison was in Victoria telling everyone how good his party was economically. Labor leader Anthony Albanese was in Queensland, saying how crucial that state was to the nation’s future. And the vision for our future didn’t rise above political argy-bargy and promises to fix congested roads.