Why We Need A Political Movement
to Promote Georgism

Cecil H. Stowasser

[A paper prepared in 1985 at the time of establishment of the Site Revenue Society of Queensland. Mr. Stowasser was elected to serve as Secretary of this organization]

Massive efforts over the last 100 years by large numbers of Georgists have failed to bring about a sufficiently significant implementation of the economic policies we espouse.

On the contrary, we have for many years been fighting a rearguard action to hold onto the reforms that were achieved in the field of municipal rating and land tax.

We must therefore accept that the attempt to implement Georgist policies through the lobbying of the politicians and members of existing political parties, has largely failed.

The following are amongst the reasons for these failures:

1. The attempt to influence the various political parties involves a massive dissipation of limited manpower.
2. Existing political parties have many other non-Georgist policies competing for their attention. In addition these policies often directly contradict Georgist beliefs.
3. The policy makers of the major parties do not have to undergo any stringent tests to verify whether they understand and accept the basic principles and policies of the party. So even if Georgist policies were written into the party programme, there is no guarantee that the party's parliamentarians would support the policies.
4. It is most likely that by the time we influence sufficient numbers of parliamentarians to make change possible an election takes place in which many of them lose their seats or else they become due to retire. We then have to start all over again, converting a new set of politicians.
5. Even when Georgist revenue reforms are introduced, it does not take many years for those that introduced the reforms to die out, retire or lose their parliamentary seats. The members that replace them are often not aware of why the reforms were introduced and do not understand them because there is nothing in the structure of existing political parties to ensure that the members are educated and trained in the policies of the party.

The advantages of starting a Georgist political movement would be as follows:

1. The energies of our membership could be concentrated on supporting more and more candidates of known Georgist persuasion instead of our energies being dissipated by trying to convert parliamentarians of other parties with a whole host of varying views on economics and politics.
2. We could ensure that decision making members, as opposed to ordinary members, had a full understanding and acceptance of the policies and principles of the party. This would give the enormous strength of unity. It is better to have a smaller number of active decision makers who are keen and united in approach, than a large number who have conflicting beliefs on major issues.
   ... Hence we could ensure that no person has voting powers or becomes a representative of the party in any legislative assembly unless he demonstrates that he fully understands and supports the principles and policies of the party.
   ... With such an organisational structure the party would speak with a united voice and would therefore gain respect from the electorate. Also the message could be reiterated from year to year until gradually people would begin to understand and accept it in increasing numbers.
   ... Most importantly, there would be no need for Georgists to keep starting all over again, decade by decade, educating new sets of non-Georgist politicians, as the old ones from existing parties die out.
3. The setting up of our own political candidates for Federal, State and Local Government legislative assemblies has many advantages, some of which are listed below.
   ... (a) We could gain control of local government councils, which would ensure that Site Value Rating was established or perpetuated without the constant need to fight reactionary councils, as in Victoria.
   ... (b) The work done towards the election of a candidate gives an immediate focus, incentive and outlet for people's energy. It gives them a goal to work for that is not too distant and therefore worked for with more hope and zest. It allows them to work together co-operatively and display their various talents and energies. It leads to the natural growth of an organisation in terms of membership and popularity.
   ... (c) People in constituencies may not work for you but they will vote for you*hence candidates necessary.
   ... (d) If a party puts up candidates then we automatically get much media publicity through TV, Radio, Newspapers etc.
   ... (e) When the other political parties realise that support for the Georgist movement is growing they will begin to ask why? and eventually change their policies accordingly. It is not essential for a Georgist political party to gain power, but merely to gain increasing support. In any case if groups such as the People for Nuclear Disarmament can gain Senate seats, there is no reason why we should not, especially as our policies are more comprehensive.
   ... (f) Finally, it must be stressed that Georgism goes far beyond revenue reform. A Georgist movement should have, and must to be effective, clear, uncompromising policies on such matters as Human Rights and Equal Liberty, True Democracy, Respect for the Environment, Practical and Just Policies for Peace, The Limits of Government Control and Social Compassion. At the moment no political party, has got clear, uncompromising and radical policies on these issues. The proclamation of such policies is a necessary adjunct to Georgist revenue reform and could be our greatest strength.