"People want something better"

Fellow citizens,

Yesterday was an important day in Australia's history.

The Same Sex Marriage Bill passed the lower house and will become law.

Assisted Dying legislation passed the Victorian Parliament recently. Another important day.

There was a time when Australia might have led the world on these two important social reforms, yet the reactionary prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott ensured this didn't occur.

However, both reforms have now occurred.

Much to the delight of the majority of the Australian population.

There is still much that needs to be done with respect to Indigenous recognition and a much more humane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers.

But it seems we are starting, after a long torpor, to finally embrace our better character.

To quote Noel Pearson:

"The silent majority of Australia is not as mean, is not as short-sighted, is not as mean-spirited as people would have us believe."

"I think the same-sex marriage debate has shown us very clearly that the silent majority of Australia is actually … generous, very fair-minded and actually want to bequeath our children something better than we have — particularly in relation to Indigenous peoples and the relationship they have with the rest of the country and their place in Australian society."

"People want something better."

Yes...yes, they do.