“We need to grow creative, inspired, empowered and confident kids who are able to lead this new economy using their unique skill sets.”

SALLY HARLEY

“To me, a more ambitious Australia is a place that challenges many people, in fact, it’s quite likely to piss them right off. Without getting too ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ about things, I think we need our culture of convenience seriously disrupted in order to significantly decrease our carbon output. Look at what happened when Coles and Woolworths finally banned plastic bags, 1.5 billion fewer plastic bags going into landfill in only three months, slowing the growth of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and reducing emissions from the production of bags.

I believe we need more legislated change along these lines to force us all into action, including big business. With a more sustainable future in mind, growing our knowledge-based economy is key. We need to grow creative, inspired, empowered and confident kids who are able to lead this new economy using their unique skill sets, so top quality, modern-thinking education for ALL kids is key. I believe reducing private education, and funding public education more extensively and fairly is key to this, and it may need a new tax/funding model to make it work, an ambitious shift. This too is likely to piss off a whole lot of people but, like with the banning of plastic bags, in time, the pain of change will pass and a new norm will be received with gratitude, especially when the fruits of such change are realised.

We all have a unique set of circumstances, drivers and pain points, and are going to take the path of least resistance for us. I hope to help innovate and communicate ways to make challenging paths less difficult, along with affecting attitudinal shifts to help Australia ride through inevitable change.”

Check out the rest of the s p a c e guest list or connect with Sally on LinkedIn