Watershed federal election on October 9

By Angelo Gavrielatos

The October 9 federal election will be a watershed for Australian politics -- the outcome defining the future for public education and the nation.

At stake in this election are the fundamental values which underpin public education and upon which this nation was built -- the values of equity, fairness and social justice.

By starving institutions built out of a sense of communitarianism, individualism is being elevated above all else. The result has been a growing polarisation of Australian society under the Howard Government.

This government must be defeated. Public education cannot afford another Howard Government.

Whilst having declared that it will increase funding for government schools and that any additional monies will be for government schools, at the time of writing the ALP had still not announced the details of its schools funding policy.

The Greens continue to articulate a clear position in support of public education. Their education policy remains superior to that of all parties. This is of particular relevance given the increasing importance of the Senate in the Australian political landscape.

Federation will provide an overall assessment of the political parties in a special Federal Election edition of the journal to be mailed to all members in the week prior to the federal election.

Angelo Gavrielatos is the Senior Vice President.

Federal election: our votes count

For further information

September 2004 contents