Evidence-based progressive policy for Australia
WeRise
Come on, you have to see this.
Ever ask yourself what you would do differently if you were in charge? We did, and here it is — built on data, aimed at a better future, and explained by people who are far too excited about it. Stay as long as you like. We'll point things out.
Exhibit A · Plaque
Please do touch the policies.
Poke them. Question them. Tell us where we've got it wrong. Being wrong is not something to hide from. It's how you find out what's actually true.
The guide has been here fifty times and is still delighted. This is normal.
What we are
A policy platform built on evidence, not ideology
A place where complex ideas get explained properly
Open to challenge, correction, and better information
Non-partisan — we follow the evidence wherever it leads
What we are not
A political party or affiliated with any party
A lobby group or funded by industry
Interested in wedge politics or culture war theatre
Finished — these policies evolve as the evidence does
We think a good life shouldn’t be a prize. Nobody should have to win it, earn it twice, or fill in a form to prove they deserve it. WeRise starts from a simple belief: people should be free, informed, and able to get on with becoming who they want to be, with as little suffering as we can manage along the way. We’re secular, humanist and stubbornly optimistic, because we live in a country wealthy enough that poverty and homelessness are choices, not accidents. We think knowledge belongs to everyone, that being wrong is just the first step in finding out what’s right, and that you can have a laugh while you fix things. We’ll point out the daft stuff when we see it, and we’ll try to be kind about it. No promises on the second part.
Our Bill of Rights
Australia has no federal bill of rights. We think it should. Australia has no national Human Rights Act, which makes it unusual among liberal democracies. Only the ACT, Victoria and Queensland have their own. The Australian Human Rights Commission has recommended a national framework, and a parliamentary report in 2024 backed a federal Human Rights Act. So the question isn’t whether we need one. It’s what should be in it.
Here’s our draft. It’s for people in Australia, not just citizens, because rights shouldn’t depend on a passport. It starts here, but we’d like it to go further: with Australia’s voice at the UN and our friends and allies, push for a universal Bill of Rights for everyone, everywhere. Come and check our work, tell us what we’ve missed, and help us write the next version.
Full Bill of Rights draft coming soon.
What We Believe
1. Born free and equal. Everyone starts with the same dignity and the same rights, whoever they are or wherever they’re from.
2. A floor, not a ceiling. A decent standard of living, and security when life goes sideways.
3. No child left out. Care and education for every child, whatever the circumstances.
4. Your story, your business. Privacy for your home, your family and your data
5. Truth gets a seat at the table. The freedom to speak, to hear, and to know what’s going on.
The tour
Seven pillars. Twenty-nine policies. One big idea.
Each pillar is a room in the museum. Each room has a few exhibits. The corridors between them are the interesting bit.
01
Foundations of Dignity
The floor beneath which no Australian falls
Income, health, mental health, disability, ageing, the first thousand days of life, work, and justice with mercy.
02
Learning & Becoming
Education, science and research
Education for everyone who wants it, and the science that invents what comes next.
03
Shelter and Movement
Housing, transport and connectivity
Somewhere to live, a way to get around, and a connection to everyone else.
04
Economy & Work
Tax, manufacturing and shared ownership
Fair tax, things made here and made well, and businesses owned by the people who run them.
05
Democracy & Rights
Democracy, media and digital rights
A democracy worth the name, a press that's allowed to tell the truth, and your right to own your own story.
06
Country & Culture
First Nations, arts and belonging
First Nations, immigration, the arts, belonging, and the idea that everyone gets to be one of us.
07
Planet & Future
Better than we found it
Climate, land, water, nature, animals, and a role in the world we can be proud of.
Show your working
Every number is checked before we say it out loud.
Policy-grade means the standard a researcher at a Senate committee would apply. So every figure carries a tag, and nothing is allowed to pretend.
Verified
Confirmed against a primary source.
Recheck
Cited, but not yet confirmed, or the date is uncertain.
Estimate
A projection or model, not a current count.
Join in
Come back for the next tour.
The Atlas Brief, our newsletter, is being given a proper refresh. It will return, with fewer lapses and better jokes.
Sign-ups open soon.
We'd rather get it right than rush it. Check back, or look through the pillars while you wait.