David Tehr

Background

About David Tehr

Intelligent, hardworking professional with a wide range of experience. Excellent references available. I am fully aware of the importance of being apolitical and discrete as an employee in any work environment. However, if you wish to know more about my own passions, I would say that I am a. Pacifist, Egalitarian, Quaker, Roundhead- Pacifist does NOT mean "being passive"! It is a journey of continual activism to help prevent the causes of war and violence - which generally means greater justice:"I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice."(Theodore Parker: August 24, 1810 – May 10, 1860)- Egalitarian is a wonderful Australian philosophical and spiritual belief we can all be different and spiritually equal. Respect for all. Possibly summed up by the statement "Jack is as good as his master"- Quakerism is my community. The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) are the only organisation in the National Council of Churches in Australia that has no creed. We live by ongoing and evolving testimonies that guide us towards the virtues of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and EarthCare- Roundheads fought for the parliament against the divine right rule of kings in 17C Britain. Democracy is my true religion (in the Latin sense of 'religio', meaning 'bonding'). It is a belief that modern representative democracy is the best way to manifest a just, pacifist, egalitarian community. That said, I campaign for the following reforms to the Australian political landscape (knowing it is a continually evolving system): i) much higher public funding for electioneering (currently around $3 per vote, I'd prefer $30) ii) Annual General Elections with majoritarian voting (i.e. a two-party system of a Government, and a strong and encouraged Opposition) Senators selected via sortition (like jury duty) With these reforms we can diminish the role of lobbyists, better hear the voice of "We The People", plus achieve a more responsible, transparent, accountable, peaceful, stable and sustainable society. and world. Happy to engage in respectful dialogue about these reforms. I know they are a paradigm shift, but then so were reforms such as abolition of slavery, universal suffrage, same sex marriage, etc.