In February I attended a two-day Community Tax Summit in Melbourne, hosted by think tank Per Capita and the University of Melbourne’s Community Tax Project. Now I know that this seems like the the least sexy way to start sharing my news, but it was actually a really exciting and stimulating event. The structure of our tax system lies at the heart of Australia’s major challenges this century, including climate change, housing crisis, and growing economic inequality.
What made this event so positive was that it wasn’t just highlighting everything that is wrong with Australia at the moment, but made clear that the alternative policies for a better Australia are not some chimera in the distance, but are in fact very near to hand, and eminently doable. And it was not just a bunch of cranks, but a gathering of some of Australia’s most respected economic thinkers. A highlight was the keynote address given by Ken Henry, former Treasury Secretary, in which he was unexpectedly frank about the failings of the current economic structure of Australia:
We have political leaders who insist that mining and forestry underwrite Australian prosperity. I will state it plainly. Those who believe this nonsense cannot be trusted with the wellbeing of future generations. … Mining and native forest logging industries, collectively, employ only about 2% of the labour force. … There is a strong case to be made that all these things are a consequence of governments having been hijacked by vested interest, by those who flaunt plunder as progress.
This edition of Manna Matters comes out days before the federal election. My personal preference is for a minority government led by Labor, with the balance of power held by independents, with or without the Greens. I do not trust Labor with a majority government, or the Greens controlling the balance of power. And I do not trust Peter Dutton full stop.
In March I was privileged to give one of the keynote addresses at the Surrender Conference, in Belgrave Heights (VIC), speaking on ‘Money and Stuff in the Upside Down Kingdom’. Channelling a bit of Ken Henry, I made plain my view that our current housing crisis is a crisis by design, a train wreck happening in slow motion for 25 years, in which all Australian governments have shrunken from ending the ongoing windfall for the wealthy. There was a great vibe at the weekend, which once again was a great opportunity to connect with other Christians thinking about justice. Well done to the organisers.
Very excitingly, Jacob and his wife Andi have been in Mongolia over March/April, exploring possibilities for a stint working overseas sometime in the future. We took the opportunity to record a podcast on Mongolia, whose influence on world affairs is bigger than you think! Although in Outer Mongolia, Jacob still managed to produce the bulk of this edition from over there. Despite our recent defence of the Luddites (MannaCast ep.28), we are not ourselves Luddites…
Jonathan Cornford
Please also take note of the following upcoming events:
Kingdom Communities Webinar Series
Wednesdays, 7pm-8:15, June 4-25
A four part webinar series revisioning church in Australia.
A Different Way Exposure Week
23-28 November 2025, Bendigo
Come and spend a week exploring Christian alternatives in areas of money, employment, consumption, sustainability, family, community, care for creation and serving the poor.