Former treasury secretary Ken Henry has urged the Australian media to do a better job of holding the country’s political system accountable. Speaking at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Henry emphasized that the media must ensure politicians are responsible for creating a sustainable and better future for younger Australians.
“Report after report tells the same story,” Henry said. “The environment is not being protected. Biodiversity is declining. Nature is in systemic decline.” He highlighted how industries built on environmental destruction threaten the very foundation of life and the future of the nation.
Henry expressed frustration with the current situation, stating, “We have turned nature against us. Our destruction of the natural environment now poses an existential threat to everything we value.” He added, “I am angry at our failures, but I believe we should all be angry at our collective failure to design economic structures and environmental regulations that support confidence in a better future for our children and grandchildren.”
During the Q&A, Henry specifically pointed to the role of the media, calling on it to fulfill its traditional watchdog function. He noted that today’s politicians are unlikely to be alive in 100 years, but the younger generation will have to live with the consequences of decisions made now. Without media accountability, he warned, politicians may neglect their obligation to secure a sustainable future.
Henry recalled the importance of the ‘Fourth Estate,’ a term referring to the media’s role in monitoring the other three branches of government the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary and holding them accountable. He called for a revival of this critical role, emphasizing that “it’s time we rebuild it.”
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