Turbo-charging the constitution

Few young people can quote from the Australian Constitution. They are unsure of what ideas it proffers and can’t see a link between it and their own lives. That doesn’t make young people much different to the average Australian, says Rodger Hills. In 2007, Rodger published “The Consensus Artifact”– a book about constitutional awareness. We interviewed Rodger to find out why young people should be interested in the constitution, and how it can be used as a tool for change.

How important is the constitution to Australia’s political system?

Young people think the only way they can get their issues heard by politicians is through traditional channels like lobbying political parties or signing petitions. It’s important to get involved at these levels but there is the opportunity to do more. Governments get caught up in an ideological ping-pong match – the new guys spend all their time reversing what the old guys did. The real driver of our democracy is the constitution. What we write there, all parties have to uphold. To read our current constitution, click here.

Imagine if we changed part of the constitution to read something like: “The Government shall provide the highest level of free secular education”. Suddenly all political parties from this time forward would have to come up with the goods. Put in a clause that says: “The creation of waste or pollution which is considered unsafe and cannot be disposed of within the borders of this Nation shall be banned”. Australia would have to meet its carbon emissions targets, regardless of which party was in power.

The constitution could be an incredibly powerful vehicle for social change. But the idea of re-writing the constitution gets drowned out by the republic debate which looks at a new constitution as little more than an afterthought. If people understood the power of the constitution to transform their lives for the better, they would be clamouring for change.

Young people fear that “getting political” is a waste of energy. Are they right?

There is nothing as demoralising as putting your heart and soul into a political issue only to have your voice ignored. In political struggles, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. For young people worried about wasting their time, the solution is not to give in, but to get creative. Every system has “tipping points” – key points in the system where a little nudge can result in a lot of change. Find those and focus on them.

Timing is also important. Some governments are more willing to listen than others, and some global events create the right circumstances for your issue to be heard. Right now the Rudd government is interested in participation, and the global recession is forcing change. Now is the time to find the tipping points. Now is the time to get politically active.

How can community organisations use the constitution to empower themselves?

Community organisations often see lobbying politicians as the ceiling on activism. I would argue they can go one step higher and lobby the Australian people. Imagine how much public interest would be generated if Surf Lifesavers, Ambos and Fireys came out and said they wanted the Australian Constitution changed to acknowledge and support emergency services? What if community organisations who are focused on education started media dialogues about how disgraceful it is that the constitution of the “Knowledge Nation” doesn’t cover education? There’s a LOT of untapped potential here.

There are also times when we don’t demand enough in our campaigns, even in those which are successful. Remember the “bring David Hicks home” campaign run by GetUp? There was a huge public response, a massive fundraising effort. Did we bring David Hicks home? Yes. Did GetUp’s campaign change the law so it could never happen again? No.

We have to think more about the future and make sure that our political successes for social justice have an ongoing effect. The constitution is a great vehicle for that.