A sickness has infected our society, seeping into the very beliefs and convictions that we once held as truths. I speak of apathy, a cold indifference that undermines, not only our individual autonomy but also our very democratic ideal.

Before I begin I would like to make one thing clear. I am not going to stand here and insult all of your intelligence by using words and devices to trick you into my belief, rather I will appeal to you intellect and reason. You final decision as to the truth of the matter will be based not on a superficial or emotional argument. It will be based on the truth.

When an individual comes to a stage where they are beyond caring on any given issue, they are said to be apathetic or indifferent. Such a condition of listlessness is present and thriving in Australian contemporary society, undermining the credibility of Australia in the global community and allowing those perspicuous enough to exploit it, with an opportunity for immense power and wealth.

A great paradox exists in relation to Australian political participation; although the role of government has expanded to affect nearly every aspect of our lives, we, as a people seem not to care about the debates and outcomes that affect all of us directly. Today, unlike at the founding, the government takes on a wide array of responsibilities, ranging from the regulation of industry standards to the provision of free and equal opportunities for education for every citizen under the age of eighteen. All of us have a stake in the government and should be comparatively involved and interested.

The apathy that I seek to expose in Australian society is by no means towards everything, nor does everybody feel it. It is displayed from a particular cross section of society towards a select number of issues. This on its own is harmless, every person is apathetic towards issues that they feel do not concern them. In fact, this is one of the major causes of apathy, along with a lack of knowledge of the subject matter, a perceived superfluity and complexity of information and a simple lack of interest. The problem in Australia is that people are often apathetic towards important issues in society, particularly those relating to domestic government.

The whole idea of the democratic system is that each individual should have a voice in the running of their society; both through voting and free speech. In this way the needs of the people are represented and theoretically addressed.