THE NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT
Renewing the liberal vision for Australia
Tim Wilson
Published by Connor Court Publishing under the imprint of The Kapunda Press. The Kapunda Press is an imprint Connor Court Publishing in association with the PM Glynn Institute, Australian Catholic University.
Paperback, 240 pages, $32.95
ISBN 9781922449030
Coming in July 2020
A new generation of Australians are walking away from the
liberal promise and embracing socialism in a way that was unthinkable before
the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The New Social Contract offers a powerful proposal
for restoring liberalism’s appeal to Australian voters.
It situates Australian liberalism today broadly within the
British, American and European tradition, but also explains what is distinctive
about Australian liberals.
At the core of Australian liberalism is a commitment to the
interests of the individual. These interests include the freedom of the
individual, but they also extend beyond it to include participation in an open
and just society.
It is only when liberal politicians demonstrate a genuine
commitment to policymaking that advances the full range of interests of
individuals will they enjoy the confidence of Australian voters.
Tim Wilson argues that it is time for liberals to offer
Australia a new social contract that places the interests of the individual at
the core of the Government’s policy agenda. Central to achieving this will be
reforms that depart from the neoliberal era of equity extraction, and instead
concentrate on decentralising power and increasing homeownership, in order to
address the needs of Australia’s changing demography.
PRAISE FOR THE NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT
“From Menzies’s ’forgotten people’ and the ‘Howard battlers’ to today’s ‘quiet Australians’, the Liberal Party has always sought to represent the breadth of aspiration in Australian life. We do this as Liberals through what John Howard celebrated as our broad church bringing together classic liberal and conservative traditions. Tim Wilson challenges us to reflect on the philosophical timbers that build modern Australia and to see how liberalism might be shaped in the 2020s. This book prods, stirs and challenges us but ultimately asks us to think about how we will leave future generations of Australians a country that is prosperous, fairer, and where the bonds between us all are strengthened.” -- SCOTT MORRISON MP, Prime Minister of Australia
“Wilson is a well-read clear thinker who understands the foundations of Australian liberalism. He junks ‘popcorn politics’ for the real issues that advance individual empowerment, liberal justice, and an ownership society.” -- AMANDA VANSTONE AO, Former Howard Government minister
“Tim Wilson has always been a fearless and passionate advocate for liberalism within Australian politics, society, and economy. He has now offered a testament of that faith in The New Social Contract which is informative and instructive, reasoned but provocative, contemporary yet draws on classical philosophy. It should serve as a rallying call for the revival of liberalism. And it is a book that every modern Liberal should read.” -- TROY BRAMSTON, Author of 'Robert Menzies: The Art of Politics'
“Thanks to The New Social Contract, I know what liberals should fight for in the 2020s. Good on Tim Wilson for putting in the thought, time and effort to move us on from popcorn politics. It’s a top read providing a deeper sense of what it means to be liberal and have a better handle on where liberals need to go. It’s rare to see deep conviction, thought and the pen in action. Intergenerational justice, the power of our federation and the need for us to think big and contemplate what needs to be done for betterment gave me great energy and excitement for Australia’s liberal future.” -- RUSSEL HOWCROFT
Tim Wilson is the Member for Goldstein in the
Australian Parliament and a visiting fellow of the PM Glynn Institute,
Australian Catholic University’s public policy think-tank.
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