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The Forum > Article Comments > The politics we deserve > Comments

The politics we deserve : Comments

By Peter McMahon, published 19/6/2006

Why is politics in Australia so debased? We should be demanding better.

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Dr Peter McMahon makes many good points in his opinion article. However, the opening line includes a flawed common assertion.

The flawed common assertion is “Australia is one of the most over governed nations in the world”. Assessing its credibility depends on those nations that Australia is compared with. It seems valid to compare Australia with nations of relatively equal levels of development and prosperity rather than those that may be considered substantially underdeveloped and/or with high proportions of substantial poverty. A comprehensive comparison of Australia with 17 robust, wealthy liberal democracies including nations such as the USA, UK, Germany, Italy and Sweden (Tiffen & Gittens 2004) indicates the assertion is not credible.

Australia is the 4th least taxed nation of the top 17 liberal democracies. Australia spends the 4th least proportion of total GDP on government.

Interestingly, Australia has the second lowest level of membership of political parties amongst its population and, Australia has the highest concentration of newspaper ownership of these top 17 liberal democratic nations and the fifth lowest newspaper circulation. How many of us obtain most of our political information from this narrowly constituted media without an alternate source?

Despite a Federal system of government that translates into 2.5 tiers of government, Australia also has a relatively low level of political representatives per head of population compared with other OECD nations and the combined employment in the public sectors around Australia is also relatively low compared with other OECD nations.

There are certainly many flaws in Australia's political system but over-governance is debatably not one. Perhaps it might be fair to argue that along with our concentrated media ownership, we also have concentrated political power. Maybe there’s too few rather than too many representatives with their fingers in the pot of power in Australia?
Posted by Shell, Monday, 19 June 2006 1:27:18 PM
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Monopolisation is a cause of our decline. Diversity in industry, manufacturing, commerce, government services and competition has disappeared as monopolisation swallows individual and business enterprise and innovation.

The same goes for government, we get less services, yet more bureaucrats getting higher and higher wages for less and less. When political parties climbed into bed with big business, there could be no other direction other than privatisation and monopolisation. After all, its who fills your political coffers that dictates party policy.

All our politicians could be charged with false pretenses, lying, corruption conflict if interest and breach of the constitution because they state categorically they represent their party and the parties policies in deference to voters. We have lawyers and rich people for politicians. A legal system, economy, social and health system, tax regime and increasingly, a welfare system favouring the elite. Its only the elite who get work perks, tax relief, (in the guise of trusts and business expenses)

Nothing will change until we have a revolution of some kind. There's little chance it will be a political revolution, anyone taking on the current two faction single party monopoly, are destroyed, even jailed, as was the case of P. Hanson. The populace will do nothing until they wake up one day and realise they are just slaves for life, with no rest from birth to death. No holidays, worthless superannuation from rising taxes and costs.

Remember, politicians and bureaucrats super is funded by the tax payer, another massive burden upon us for the elites benefit. More Billions of dollars we're enslaved to provide the elite for zero return

Why are politicians pushing for us to work until 75, plus starting school younger. Now Its out of the cradle, into enslavement (child care, school)then work until your 75, yet many die within 5 years of retiring at 65 now.

Welcome to the real world, provided by those you voted for, enjoy the ride, it may be freaky.
Posted by The alchemist, Monday, 19 June 2006 1:51:22 PM
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Hi y'all
Yes, we do get the government we deserve because we vote for it.
If and when we stop voting en masse for the major parties, then we may get people in parliament who represent their electorates in the parliament, not the parliament (or government) in their electorates.

The difference is not so subtle. In the first case, the people elected to represent the interests of their electorate do so regardless of party discipline. In the second case the electorate votes for whoever sells them the least worst view of the world under their party. In case A we get representatives, in case B we get snake oil salesmen.

Vote for independents, turn them over often and trust that really government makes very little difference - for example Italy!

odsoc
Posted by odsoc, Monday, 19 June 2006 2:27:29 PM
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We need to scrap compulsory voting first. Then there would be no "safe" seats, candidates at elections would need to get people to vote for them.

Instead we have people who take no interest in politics voting only to save themselves from being fined. We need to encourage a system where the best local candidate has a chance to win, no more safe labor or liberal seats.
Posted by Steve Madden, Monday, 19 June 2006 2:43:07 PM
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Odsoc
yes, indeed we do.(vote for it) Many of us see no alternative to the lesser of 2 evils.

COALITION
Capitalism/Econimic Rationalism = Manipulate the world to maximize corporate earnings. (like the Japanese and Green land with Whaling) Does this approach consider the dwindling resource ? how CAN it when it is driven by 'shareholder value' ? When CEO bonus's are driven by 'shareholder value' ?
In summary driven by....memeMEMEmeme_and_MORE_"me"

LABOR/SOCIALISM
Legislate all things even going to the loo, BIGGGGG government, massive public spending, connected to Union vested interest, head in the sand over international impact of local policies, etc....
In summary driven by....memeMEMEmeme_and_MORE_"me" (Just different 'me's)

GREENS/DEMOCRATS......er...who ?....what ?

Final summary.

"each of us has turned to his own way." (Isaiah 53.6a)

Final Solution.

"But the Lord has laid on HIM, the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53.6b)

Oh that Politicians, Unionists, Chief Executives, Share holders and everyday blokes and shiela's like us, would grasp this truth, and submit our hearts to it.
Posted by BOAZ_David, Monday, 19 June 2006 2:57:04 PM
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I can only express my amazement that people still seem unable to understand that the ethical basis of politics in Australia was laid down during the 1790's by the NSW Corps. You only have to look at the Cross-City Tunnel contract in Sydney today to see that Corps members would have wholeheartedly endorsed the provisions, particularly the rip-offs organised by their spiritual descendants, the right wing of the NSW Labor Party.

The four principles of Australian politics, which were formed during the early days of settlement are:

1. The Government is the enemy of the People, and can never be trusted.

2. No taxation with or without representation, with any deficiency being made up from the sale of politician's assets.

3. At every election, no matter whom you vote for, a politician is ALWAYS elected.

4. Always vote NO at federal referendums.

Mark Latham will always have a honoured place in my political memories, because not only did he coin a phrase (a conga line of suckholes) which rivalled Keating's description of the Senate (unrepresentative swill), but he was responsible for reducing politicians superannuation. As someone who believes that the maximum remuneration for any politician should not exceed the dole, that was a rare step in the right direction.

We have a political system that faithfully represents what we are (not what utopians think we should be), and that is what it should do.

P.S I have never been able to find out how Keating would have described the House of Reps. Would they be the "representative swill"?
Posted by plerdsus, Monday, 19 June 2006 3:03:46 PM
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