Dead Centre

How political pragmatism is killing us: Vantage Point Issue 2

Richard Denniss

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English

Black Inc
05 August 2025

Politics & government; Australian Society

The sensible centre. Evidence-based policy. These are not the same. In fact, they are at odds with each other.

The scientific evidence tells us that building new gas, oil and coal mines will cause catastrophic climate damage this century. Yet politicians describe a call for the end of new mines as extreme. Likewise with online gambling, junk food advertising or incarcerating children- the evidence of harm is clear, but the sensible centre is defined not by evidence but by politics. Media reports on such issues presuppose that there are two sides and a centre to every debate, but evidence shows there is not. The political right thrives in such fear-fuelled, fact-free arenas, where traditional media and subject matter experts struggle to fight fear with facts.

In this essay, economist and Executive Director of The Australia Institute Richard Denniss, explores the contradiction between centrism and evidence that sits at the heart of democratic debate in Australia. He shows that when both major parties oppose reform then the position of the sensible centre becomes indistinguishable from blind support for keeping things as they are.

By: Richard Denniss
Imprint: Black Inc
Country of Publication: Australia
Edition: 2nd edition
Dimensions: Height: 180mm, Width: 112mm, Spine: 11mm
Weight: 116g
ISBN: 9781763662148
ISBN 10: 1763662144
Pages: 128
Publication Date: 05 August 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Dr Richard Denniss was until recently the head of the Australia Institute, and is now its chief economist. He has spent the last twenty years moving between policy-focused roles in academia, federal politics and think-tanks. He is co-author of Affluenza and Minority Policy, the author of Econobabble, and writes regularly for the Australian Financial Review, the Canberra Times and the Monthly.