In his foreword to What’s the Big Idea? 30 Years of the Australia Institute, the Chair of the Institute, John McKinnon, reminds us that over that time, “The Institute has filled the gap left by an increasingly politicised public service and timid political class. The Institute has taken up the bold ideas, backed them with rigorous research and promoted the results.”
What more fitting way could there be then to celebrate the Institute’s 30th birthday, than by publishing 30 essays to commemorate 30 years of big ideas? The result: an outstanding collection of contributions by, to put it mildly, an outstanding group of people. And four extra essays because they were too good to omit.
The range of subjects covered is very wide, which is hardly surprising given the array of problems facing Australia. Fortunately, we do not (yet, anyway) censor or repress the voicing of new ideas here. The promulgation of genuine research and well-considered opinions is still possible, although these may get drowned in the lies and disinformation now rife in public discourse.
In reviewing a collection like this, there is a temptation to give weight to those ‘big ideas’ dear to one’s heart, such as when economist Yanis Varoufakis decries the “toxic illusion that less public debt is always good for an economy’s dynamism”. Or when environmentalist Sunita Narain incisively points out that if solutions to climate change “cannot meet the needs of all – if they are not equitable – it will not work. We need to understand the environmentalism of the poor”.
And then there’s journalist Amy Remeikis, in ‘Australia Could be Brave’, boldly picturing a country that “could reckon with its past and sit with Indigenous truth-telling and treaty”.
“A brave Australia could tax land instead of labour and make those who profit from the nation’s resources pay for the collective benefit,” she writes.
Such examples offer a flavour of this anthology. Other subjects, such as nuclear weapons, curiosity-driven research and the funding of the arts could have served as equally suitable examples. Each essay is well-written, well-argued, and – depending on your point of view – convincing and/or controversial. There is even one with a touch of wry humour by the inimitable Bob Brown. Most not only state a problem, but suggest ways to solve it. A very few state the problem, but offer little by way of solution.
A collection such as this is like a banquet. It is full to overflowing with good ideas. The wise reader, like the wise guest at a feast, will not have a go at everything at once. But neither will they leave any dish untasted.
But will reading these essays lead to any action? Director of the Democracy and Accountability Program at the Australia Institute, Bill Browne, argues that:
… without politics, without democracy, all ideas are inert. People can adorn themselves with ideas and values to express their personality, to revel in their cleverness, or to show others the kind of person that they are. But it is political action that will quicken those ideas, give them form and motion. If you, dear reader, are not willing to contest power for the sake of the ideas in this book, then you will cede the political debate to those who value their ideas more.
This is a book for everyone, regardless of their politics. It deals realistically with so many problems of the day and offers hope in what sometimes seems a hopeless situation. It showcases an abundance of good ideas for a better future in language accessible to all.
What’s the Big Idea? 30 Years of the Australia Institute, Editors Anna Chang and Alice GrundyÂ
Publisher: Black Inc
ISBN: 9781763662124
Format: Paperback
Pages:Â 216pp
Publication:Â 4 March 2025
RRP: $34.99
