A word for what we’ve all felt. A habit that’s holding us back.
As another federal election approaches, Australians are growing tired of the endless delays. Politicians dodging hard decisions. Policy stuck in the too-hard basket. Urgent issues, from climate to housing, education to mental health, kicked down the road, again and again.
We call it policrastination.
po·li·cras·ti·na·tion
noun
A politician’s tendency to delay, dodge or defer critical policy decisions. especially those affecting the long-term wellbeing of future generations, in favour of short-term political gains.
The systemic avoidance of necessary reform to protect popularity, polls, or party politics.
The art of appearing busy while doing nothing of consequence.
See also: climate inaction, housing crisis, deferred reform
Ex. “After years of policrastination, voters were no longer convinced by the Prime Minister’s last-minute climate pitch.”
We’re campaigning to get policrastination added to the Macquarie Dictionary, Australia’s official record of our evolving language.
Why? Because naming the problem is the first step to solving it.
With your help, we’re gathering a record of how Australians are already using the word—online, in conversation, in print—to show that policrastination is a necessary part of our national vocabulary.
We’ve all seen it
Climate policy stalled, while extreme weather intensifies
Housing affordability worsening, after decades of inaction
Mental health left underfunded, despite being the leading health issue for young Australians
Education systems falling behind, leaving a generation unprepared for the future of work
It’s not just procrastination. It’s political procrastination, and it deserves its own name because we can’t solve a problem until we can talk about it properly!
Use the Word. Share the Word. Log the Word.
Have you used “policrastination” in a post, article, conversation, podcast, or meme? Let us know!
Submit your use of the word through the form below to help build our case to the Macquarie Dictionary editors.
This initiative is part of the For Our Future Campaign, led by Foundations for Tomorrow.
We’re the team that spearheaded the introduction of Australia’s Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill, which would require our leaders to consider the long-term impact of today’s decisions on both current and future generations (seems pretty logical, right?).
We have been working at this for over four years and we’ve seen firsthand how policrastination undermines progress on the big challenges, like climate, housing, health, and education, and how it leaves younger and future Australians to deal with the consequences.
Naming this problem is just the next step in a much bigger mission: to shift culture, elevate expectations, and ensure long-term thinking is the rule—not the exception—in Australian leadership.
Follow the journey
