Good government is not assisted by federalism, which ofttimes looks a lot more like feudalism, with fiefdom lords or chiefs organising for them and their cronies, rather than the common vassal/elector.

If we were at war, suddenly logic's right would prevail as a matter of survival and the bickering state parliaments would be mothballed and resuscitated at the end of hostilities.

Which was I'm told the historical record during the last world war?

Sadly, in this country, logic's rights will need another war before being a first-order priority.

If sanity were to prevail and the vested interests could be sidelined for a time. We could initiate a referendum to permanently close down unneeded unnecessary state governments and share their duties and administration between officially recognise local governments and the Federal government.

Moreover without increasing the size of any of the remaining administrations. Assisted by the completely embracing maximised regional autonomy and unpaid voluntary board tasked with managing the people's utilities public ed and health. And would be made up of retired professionals and retired businessmen and women.

Just this much rational downsizing would claw back at least 70 annual billions, which could then be tasked with nation-building. Rapid rail, modular nuclear power plants, deionisation dialysis desalination and graphene highways. Followed by an inland canal, linking Australian rapid rail to, roll on roll off, fast ferries and the world

This canal/desalinated water source would be self-filling and self-flushing as a consequence of Automatic flood gates actuated by, top of the tide and bottom of the tide, lock gates. Nuclear reactors can be made, walk away safe and built as history shows, in just six short months!

Federalism has not served us well and needs to be made redundant in favour of much smaller government and long overdue, nation-building.
Alan B.