A Grand Coalition for Australian Optimism? Dutton and Albanese Speak
"For so many Australians, aspiration has been replaced by anxiety. Optimism has turned to pessimism. And national confidence changed to dispiritedness."
So said the Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, The Hon. Peter Dutton MP, in his Address to the Coalition Campaign Rally, Mount Waverley yesterday.
Peter is right. The latest LG Electronics Global Optimism Survey, conducted across 16 markets, asks a crucial question: How optimistic are people worldwide about their future? In answering, Australians ranked among the least optimistic, alongside France and the United Kingdom. That finding is consistent with other recent studies. The Ipsos-Halifax study revealed that only 34% of Australians agree that "more things are getting better in the world these days than are getting worse," a 14-percentage-point drop from 2023. Similarly, the GHD Crossroads study ranked Australia at the bottom of the optimism pack in the ten countries surveyed.
These results prompt us at The Centre for Optimism and The Australian Leadership Project to ask: What has caused Australia's fall from optimism, and what can be done to turn the tide?
It's good to see both Australian political leaders turning their attention to national optimism.
A few days ago. in Kununurra, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, "Now, my vision is for an Australia that is bigger, an Australia that is optimistic, an Australia that seizes the opportunities in every capital city, in every regional city and in every region and indeed remote community as well."
At the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), leaders committed to "restore hope and optimism in our common future." This commitment reflects a collective recognition of the fall in youth optimism and the importance of optimism in tackling global challenges like climate change and inequality.
Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has said, "We have entered an era without precedent, certainly not in living memory, and it has led to a loss of optimism almost across the world." He highlighted the need for optimism to address pressing issues, particularly climate change, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss.
The OECD - OCDE has emphasised the importance of youth optimism, linking it to life satisfaction, resilience, and mental health. They stress that fostering optimism among young people is essential for building innovative societies equipped to confront future challenges.
"The answer to life's most pressing questions is optimism." That is The Optimism Principle and a good principle for politics too.
It's time for The Optimism Economy: A National Framework for Economic Optimism
We need an Optimistic Australian National Narrative
Optimism is more than a philosophy—it is a catalyst for change and resilience. From addressing global challenges like climate change to fostering mental health and innovation, optimism empowers individuals and nations to envision and build a brighter future. Prime Minister Albanese and Opposition Leader Dutton both recognise that an optimistic mindset is essential for restoring Australia’s confidence. It’s now time to engage Australians in answering the question: What makes you optimistic? We can reignite a national spirit of aspiration and hope by embracing and amplifying these answers.
With the strong possibility of a "hung parliament" after the 2025 federal election, it may be unrealistic to expect a formal Grand Coalition akin to Germany’s earlier this century. Yet, there is a real opportunity for a coalition of ideas centred on optimism. Imagine a spirited competition between political leaders who can craft the most optimistic and inspiring vision for Australia. This vision rekindles national pride and collective purpose. In such a contest, optimism would become the unifying force, transcending party lines and bringing Australians together to pursue a brighter future.
This could be the perfect moment for "magnetic optimism"—an optimism so tangible and a vision so compelling that it draws people in with irresistible energy. A national optimism movement, driven by infectious hope and bold ambition, could rally Australians to overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and achieve the extraordinary. Optimism is not just an ideal but a strategy for unity, progress, and resilience.