Introduction

4Change aspires to represent the community’s needs for integrity, common sense and clarity of purpose in the political process. It exists to bring a new approach to the way politics is done and to focus on Australia’s long term economic, environmental and community sustainability needs.

4Change has evolved from the Climate Change Coalition, a party which was founded in 2006 to compete in the 2007 NSW State election and the 2007 Federal election, when it was clear Australia needed better governmental responses to climate change issues.

Our Mission

To bring common sense and ethics into the political process. Corruption proofing the political process by introducing changes:-

• to the way political candidates are selected,
• to the number of terms members of parliament can remain in office,
• by allowing MPs to vote according to the needs of their electorate and their conscience,
• changing the political donation process by introducing legislation to cap the size of donations to $10,000, working to ensure no individual or organisation has more influence than another, and
• finding ways to meet the needs of all people to be heard by government by making it more accessible.

To make sustainability the guiding principle for all decision making, bringing policy and legislative change grounded in balancing the needs of the economy, environment and community.

Our Approach

• Providing Australians with a political party that will govern according to clearly defined principles - where each voice in the community is of equal value, ethical behaviour is a standard operating procedure and policies are based on the longer term.
• Building a new approach to the political process – shifting the culture from special interests to broader community engagement and increased participation.
• Ensuring a long term prosperous and viable future for Australia. A short term focus by politicians to win election spells disaster for the increasingly complex and urgent sustainability issues faced by the community – water shortages, food shortages, loss of biodiversity, peak oil, over consumption, rapidly increasing population and excessive green house gas production leading to climate change.

A New Political Process

• Ethical, competent representatives who have a track record in dealing with complex problems and who by their integrity and experience will help bring clarity to the political process .
• A party that really listens to its electorate and allows its elected members to vote according to conscience rather than following party dictates at all times i.e. a real democratic process within the parliament.
• Engaging with more and diverse sections of the community. Listening closely while working to understand the issues and the options. Developing approaches to solving problems that lead to better results.
• Parliamentary terms should be restricted to help ensure the type of people who apply to be candidates are motivated by genuine belief and civic duty rather than a political career.
• Provide public funding for election campaigns.

We believe that:

• All Australians deserve competent, ethical government
• All Australians should be treated equally
• All Australians have certain rights including:
• free speech
• an education which develops Australia’s intellectual capital and future development
• a health system which serves their needs
• Australia needs to properly value its natural resources
• Australia’s future generations should be protected from the costs of today’s pollution
• Australia should position itself to be a major player in the energy revolution
• Australia’s major community services and infrastructure e.g. health, education and transport should be delivered under a national policy structure and managed regionally
• Australia must have an elected head of state

In Summary

Australia’s future prosperity and viability requires a better way of doing politics and the business of government, and a solid principled cornerstone for better decision making. This must be sustainability and equity between the economy, the environment and the community; sustainability and equity between rural, regional and urban needs. To achieve better results we need a different political process.