Episode 7: The People's Constitution by Bronwyn Kelly (Chapter 2 - Part 3)

In Episode 7 Bronwyn Kelly reads Chapter 2 – Part 3 of her book, The People's Constitution: the path to empowerment of Australians in a 21st century democracy. She outlines how Australia’s reliance on an alliance with America has been dragging Australia into dependency on an ally that is itself unstable and suggests that it is therefore important for Australia to design its democracy so that it is less vulnerable to the sort of weaknesses affecting America’s and more reliable for purposes of maintaining our sovereignty as an independent nation, one less easily dragged into another’s wars. This will require Australia to build a new model of democracy – one which is not reduced to mere electioneering for selection of representatives but which, in addition to and before election processes, allows the people to speak for themselves.Bronwyn suggests this new model of democracy should insert an extra step into our current processes for electing representatives. Before we elect them, we the people must first work together to set down in writing a description of the preferred character and values of our nation and scope the policy agenda that will be necessary for realisation of that preferred national character. In short, we the people of Australia should learn to provide instructions to those we elect about the nation we are trying to build and that they are being elected to deliver by ethical application of the powers we vest in them in elections.Bronwyn concludes that Australians can develop that capacity by establishing an open but well organised public planning forum on the internet and by establishing a people’s constitution which gives them the right to use orderly democratic processes to express their sovereign will.    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