Noel Pearson's 2010 John Button oration

Noel Pearson in his 2010 John Button Oration demolishes, quite rightly, much of the social justice rhetoric that the Labor Party faithful deploy, labelling it as hollow and meaningless:

"Whilst social justice is still part of Labor’s intra-mural pieties – a useful rallying cry for the true believers – in front of the nation at large the concept is muted and liturgical.


.... the notion of social justice is completely elusive and has for too long remained undefined by those who say they were and are all for it. Both the end state of justice and the means by which that end state is supposed to be achieved, is utterly undefined."

His diagnosis is partly correct and is a challenge to all who use the term "social justice".  But just as vague and meaningless for me is his idea of the "radical centre", which to me is hardly radical at all. 

As is often the case I find myself challenged by Noel Pearson's analysis, but disagreeing with his conclusions and solutions.