It is time to step up and take a leading role
Australian values and way of life are being challenged in a way not previously experienced.
Australia’s Jewish community has always been proud loyal Australians, putting the highest value on the freedom we enjoy.
Ever since Moses descended from Mt Sinai the Jewish people have been held to the highest moral standards. As a result Israel is judged against standards not applied to any other nation. By adhering to our principles, the Jewish people have survived and prospered despite countless efforts to destroy us. The current situation is no different.
Australian values and way of life are being challenged in a way not previously experienced. Now is the time to push back against the evil falsehoods being perpetrated by a loud but small minority whose only desire is to destroy Western values.
It is time to invoke the spirit of past Australian Jews who answered the call to assist in preserving Australian democracy, values and way of life. This includes the above average numbers of Australian Jews who enlisted in World War I, Sir John Monash who is widely regarded as the greatest Australian and Sir Zelman Cowen, who brought stability in 1975 following the dismissal of the Whitlam government.
Now is also the time to take lessons from the recent US election. The very clear message is that firm, strong leadership will attract the support of the majority of citizens who, as are most Australians, suffering from the impact of divisive identity politics and high inflation. Our political leaders must be convinced of these realities and the need to offer realistic policies and a vision for our future at our own upcoming federal election.
The Australian Jewish community is ideally placed to lead this campaign and bring with us the significant Australian majority who are clearly unhappy with what is happening here and the direction Australia is heading in.
It is arguable that if it weren’t for Australia’s compulsory voting the divisions and grievances here would be much the same as in the US. We must convince our political leaders that for them to survive and prevail they must deliver policies to restore Australia to the nation that provides all citizens with equal opportunity irrespective of race, gender, belief, ethnicity or political ideology.
Australians must again be prepared to assist any person in legitimate need while at the same time requiring all to accept personal accountability and responsibility. We must learn the lessons of COVID and the disastrous Voice referendum campaign. We need policies that offer quality and dignity to all Australians.
We can’t meaningfully address the world’s challenges but we can lead the campaign to restore Australia’s way of life and previously excellent reputation as a respected, fair minded valued ally of
the free world.
We must distance Australia from the regimes that abuse the rights we cherish. We cannot continue to ignore the disgraceful United Nations, now dominated by the despotic authoritarian regimes who gained control of the UN General Assembly and many of its institutions through its well intended democratic processes.
There is growing anecdotal and research evidence that the majority of Australians want firm leadership proposing policies such as: Resolution of the Reserve Bank and governments adopting opposing policies to bring inflation under control. The longer we have high inflation and related high interest rates our standard of living will continue to decline and further fuel social unrest by growing the gap between the haves and have nots.
Australia cannot continue to economically survive relying on the high export prices being achieved by iron ore, coal and natural gas.
Abandoning policies that retard growth by continuing to spend large sums on energy renewables that will not provide the base energy needed. Exporting our carbon does nothing to reduce the world climate challenge.
A well planned immigration and related integration program to address Australia’s serious labour and skills shortages. Governments need to rediscover the benefits of multiculturalism if we are to again successfully integrate the number of immigrants we need. The current encouragement provided is out of date and does not sufficiently recognise that the needs of present and future new Australians are different to those that applied in the past. The postwar arrivals were educated and came with values similar to those of Australia. Current and future arrivals need greater assistance in conversational English essential for employment. They require detailed education in Australian values and citizenship.
The constant deferring of much needed tax reform must cease. Such reforms are fundamental to address income gaps and the lack of investment incentives. Too many Australians, despite having good jobs still need to take on casual work in order to meet life’s basic necessities.
Australia’s Jewish community is ideally positioned to immediately take a leading role in encouraging our political leaders to deliver practical and realistic policies to the 2025 federal election. At the same time we must overcome ignorance amongst most of our fellow Australians about the history of the Jewish people.
It’s time to step up.
Grahame Leonard is a former president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and a former Victorian multicultural commissioner.
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