Andrew L. Urban
With Labor’s sweeping victory at the 2025 election, future policy settings suggest themselves to ensure yet another term of Labor government. This is because judging by the voters’ approval, more and bigger of the same is the will of the majority. Or as American journalist, essayist, satirist and cultural critic H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) noted, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.”
The remark introduces a hint of cynicism or scepticism towards the notion that the people always make informed and rational decisions. (A bit like the notion that juries never get it wrong.#)
So the Labor road to the 2028 election builds on the evidently popular policies and behaviours of the past three years as voter-pre-approved at the 2025 election:
- Increase petrol excise – to discourage use of fossil fuels
- Reduce defence spending – surplus to requirements
- Increase immigration – nation building
- Introduce unrealised capital gains tax on super balances above $2 million as well as private properties valued (as at July 1, 2025) over $2 million (exemptions apply for Labor Governments & their employees)
- Criminalise selling coal for domestic use
- Criminalise public criticism of climate change policies
Tribal witch-doctor Chris Bowen showing his tribe one of the magic remedies in his tool kit
- Establish a Makarrata commission with responsibility for ‘truth-telling’ and treaty with ‘First Nations’ people
- Introduce severe penalties, including jail, for mis and dis information as determined by the e-Commissioner (exemptions apply for Labor Governments & their employees)
- Issue permanent residency visas to all applicants from Gaza
- Recall the Australian Ambassador to Israel and refuse all visa applications from Israeli citizens (including its leaders*)
- Expel the Israeli Ambassador, close the Israeli embassy and turn it into an embassy for a future Palestine
- Introduce hefty exit fees for travel to Israel
- Make the purchase of keffiyehs tax deductible
- Increase funding for ABC and SBS
- Use cash from Australia’s Future Fund to subsidise renewable energy projects
#Andrew L. Urban is the author of several books on wrongful convictions.
*The Wong headed anti-Israel lobby in Labour would arrest Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu on the (inapplicable) warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. Presumably that would be after Netanyahu is granted an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA-IL) prior to travel, which is mandatory for nationals of visa-exempt countries, including Israel?