A switch in time - restoring respect to Australian politics

This report provides a practical frame of reference to carry the conversation about the ways all Australians can play a role to lift the standard of national politics; to protect and promote, rather than destroy, important community values of respect, accountability, fairness and tolerance; to confront the sexism and misogyny in our political discourse; to keep the focus on global science, climate change and other important policy issues; to challenge media ‘group think’; and to reject vitriol and abuse as some kind of ‘new normal’. The following sections of this publication build on all of these points. Section A – highlights the lack of respect being shown to crucial democratic principles upon which our governments are formed. Section B – identifies and outlines the various ways in which sexist assumptions and characterisations are prevailing in the assessment of the performance of the country’s first woman prime minister, and what this means for women and girls. Section C – focuses on the cornerstones that have been put in place to respond to the threat of dangerous climate change, and which have been pulled down by self-interest and political expediency. Section D – spells out a range of actions that people can take to restore ‘a respect agenda’ that challenges and changes the current and destructive nature of our political discourse