The less-is-more IR policy

But we are now looking to take a leap of faith to something pure - to implement fully the less-is-more principle. And while trust is a pre-condition for moving forward, key aspects of it remain unexamined by those who demand change.

Trust cannot be bought or guaranteed, despite its profoundness. People actually realise John Howard can’t compel others - or even themselves - to trust. As former Cambridge philosophy Professor Onora O’Neill says: “Elaborate measures to ensure that people keep agreements and do not betray trust must, in the end, be backed by - trust. At some point we just have to trust.”

The other confronting feature of trust is that it cannot be partitioned according to economic and social purposes. It’s both or neither. This is where John Howard really struggles with inconsistency.

He implores us to abandon our fears and assume the best of fellow human beings - most especially, your boss. But then panders to a meaner nature on various non-economic fronts.

While prosaic justifications for the war on terrorism and our crude policy on asylum seekers can be mounted, they clearly violate the principle upon which we have gained so much. They are about protective barriers, control and covetousness. As America can attest with Iraq, a formulaic approach to security and freedom is as effective in promoting harmony as communism was in generating affluence.

If the government wants support for sensible IR reforms, it must be consistent and unconditionally refuse to deal in the fear of uncertainty. This is the only way to promote the trust needed to complement the sound principles underpinning Australia’s economic success.