In the first of a two-talk series, the South Brisbane Greens are very happy to welcome Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC, Associate Professor Geoff Dow and Max Chandler-Mather to talk about the rise of anti-politics. We’ll be exploring the economic, social, and political roots of the rise of anti-establishment politics both in Australia and globally. We’ll be asking what this means for left parties like the Greens, who arguably failed to capitalise on this anti-political feeling in the most recent Federal election.
Speakers
Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC, Greens member of NSW’s Upper House and Australia’s first female Muslim MP
Max Chandler-Mather, Campaign Manager of Jonathan Sri's Gabba Ward campaign
Associate Professor Geoff Dow, Honorary Associate Professor
School of Political Science and International Studies
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Just what the hell is going on? Jeremy Corbyn, a self proclaimed socialist, leads the UK Labour Party; Donald Trump tweets about economic inequality amongst immigrant and African American communities; the UK just voted to leave the EU; a democratic socialist almost won the Democratic Party nomination; and One Nation, inexplicably, is back in Australia. Speaking of Australia, our recent federal election just produced the highest recorded independent vote in our history, the second and third lowest primary vote for Labor and the Coalition respectively, and the lowest national turnout since compulsory voting was introduced in 1925. Meanwhile wages are stagnating, inequality is rising, household debt is skyrocketing (180% of income if anyone wants to know) and millennials can’t even afford a home to live in. If that isn’t enough, no one in Parliament seems to have any clue what to do about it.
Is any of this connected? What does all of this mean? Has politics and society turned on its head? If you’re scratching your head, don’t worry! So are we. That’s why we’ve decided to ask some v. clever people to come and help explain. Please explain, if you will.
Talk #2 in the New Politics Series -- "We Demand Everything: universal basic income and 4 day work week" -- is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/601622043348427/
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