A Labor of Love

Through my primary education, celebrating chagim and my bat Mitzvah, and experiencing life in Israel, I’ve learnt to appreciate the variety of ways that exist to practice and express our Judaism. Throughout it all, one value has been emphasised most consistently; equality. We learn from our sacred texts the importance of generosity and compassion, and from our shared history of discrimination that we have a duty to make the world a better place. We are taught the responsibility of Tikun Olam, and that we must look after the environment we are so lucky to inhabit. Equality is at the core of who we are as a community.

The tool of Government is a unique one in its capacity to create a more equal Australia, and I believe it is their responsibility to do so. Political parties’ policies should work to create

structures and systems that promote equality of opportunity, support our most vulnerable citizens, and foster a harmonious society. So how does Labor’s platform manifest our Jewish commitment to equality?

Tobi Rosengarten

Political Staffer

At an economic level, Labor’s policies are designed to create wage growth, improve working conditions, and assist Australian businesses to grow and prosper. They believe that middle-income families are worse off under trickledown-economics, and that to create a more equal society we need to create opportunities to enable those from lower socio-economic backgrounds to thrive. They want to create a system that looks after people who need our help, not one that looks after the rich and powerful at the expense of everyone else. When it comes to education, Labor knows that equality of opportunity is essential to the growth of our country. By increasing funding for public schools, improving the quality and availability of vocational training, and ensuring everyone who wants to get to university has that opportunity, their approach aims to make education accessible to all Australians. They also know that millions of Australians rely on a well-funded Medicare system, and that someone’s financial situation should not determine whether they can access essential healthcare services. Labor wants to ensure hospitals are well funded and equipped, invest in lifesaving research, and address the mental health crisis plaguing society.

Looking at the environment, Labor is the only major party with a climate policy. They know that our future is at stake, and if we don’t stop playing politics with coal and big corporations, our country and world is in serious trouble. Labor want to see a transition to renewable energy, to work with

the international community on reducing emissions, and ultimately protect our Earth. Because that’s what the future requires of us.

And social equality is of course at the centre of their en re pla orm. Labor stands together with minority groups in opposing changes to 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, and seeks to create a fairer refugee policy that sees an end to indefinite detention and unfair immigration practices. Their policies aim to promote gender equality, advocate on issues facing the LGBTQI+ community, address the lack of support for those living with a disability, and work to get homeless Australians off the streets. As a community who value equality, I believe we have an essential responsibility to vote for a party committed to creating a fairer Australia for everyone. That’s why as a Jew, I proudly vote for the Australian Labor Party.