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The Forum > Article Comments > Minority governments provide the best form of democracy > Comments

Minority governments provide the best form of democracy : Comments

By Everald Compton, published 2/5/2013

For all of the first 15 years after Federation in 1901, Australians elected Minority Governments. Nevertheless, the Parliament passed much essential legislation.

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Yes, I agree.
Posted by Chris Lewis, Thursday, 2 May 2013 7:32:17 AM
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Johnson was an outstanding example of a 'can-do' president, using his vast experience in the Senate to pursuade, negotiate and, if necessary, bully his legislation through Congress and into law. He redefined the Democrat Party as the champion of minorities and the oppressed. It is his personal tragedy that his great mistake - the belief that the use of overwhelming force would bring a swift end to the Vietnam conflict he inherited - is the one thing he is remembered for.
Posted by Graham Cooke, Thursday, 2 May 2013 9:18:19 AM
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Johnson was an outstanding example of a 'can do' president, using his vast experience from his days in the Senate to persuade, negotiate and if necessary, bully his legislation through Congress. He redefined the Democrat Party as the champion of minorities. It is his personal tragedy that his great mistake - the belief the Vietnam War he inherited could be quickly won with the use of overwhelming force - is the one thing he is remembered for.
Posted by Graham Cooke, Thursday, 2 May 2013 9:30:20 AM
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"The Prime Minister has often appeared to be a hostage of those minorities. This was very true with regard to the Carbon Tax, when she reneged on an election promise so she could bring the Greens into her minority government. "

Who can forget the PM's reliance on the amoral Greens, the virtue-deficient Craig Thomson and Peter Slipper, and the 'independent' dependable pawns Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott?

Yes, who can forget the PM's broken promise about the carbon tax , and how the implementation of the world's highest carbon tax (now six times the EU rate) has lowered everyone's standard of living?

"Gillard has been able to keep her government together largely because of the personal unpopularity of the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott. "

The author either has failed to observe Abbott's relentless and effective attack on Gillard, or else has caught the Gillard disease of blaming Abbott for everything.
Posted by Raycom, Thursday, 2 May 2013 11:36:25 AM
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Yes I agree with main point of your article Everald - this minority government has legislated progressively and successfully. More so than any government I can remember in 50 years.

Australia would do well to follow the example of NZ and introduce the Mixed Member Proportional Representation electoral system. This results in fair representation in parliament of significant minority groups all of the time.

PS My view is that it is already apparent that a carbon tax is the only way to go with carbon, the reason being is that it is the only way to give certainly to investors and fairly compensate poorer sectors. Carbon trading has deteriorated as some predicted into an unstable farce. While this government might not have got all of the details right, their carbon tax reform is on the right track.
Posted by Roses1, Thursday, 2 May 2013 12:01:19 PM
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Roses 1: "My view is that it is already apparent that a carbon tax is the only way to go with carbon, the reason being is that it is the only way to give certainly to investors and fairly compensate poorer sectors. ... While this government might not have got all of the details right, their carbon tax reform is on the right track."

The AGW believers have conned you into believing that anthropogenic CO2 emissions are the driver of global warming. That is still very much hypothetical, as there is no scientific evidence to prove it.

There is consequently no scientific or economic justification for implementing a carbon tax or ETS. It is pointless to give certainty to investors so as to encourage them to install inefficient renewable energy generators.

Implementation of the carbon tax has had the predictable effect of penalising all industries with the possible exception of renewable energy producers, with higher energy costs and helping destroy their natural advantage. We will all be the poorer for it. The prediction that many thousands of green energy jobs would eventuate, was spin at its best.

The national interest would have been much better served by improving policies for adaptation to climate change, which, after all, is a natural process.
Posted by Raycom, Thursday, 2 May 2013 1:02:13 PM
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