Contrary to the authors view, opposition to the gay radical march over the top of everything traditional in this country, is actually popular. The Liberals persistence with this course, is actually a positive sign.

Parliament is indeed dysfunctional, as is democracy. “ It just (SSM) needed a simple vote in both Houses”.

No! It did not. 'It' needed the plebiscite promised by Turnbull. A vote by mere politicians on something as important as the Marriage Act is not democracy.

The obsession with SSM, with barely a mention of serious matters like debt, safety, immigration and so on certainly points to dysfunction of parliament and the lunacy of our politicians.

Everald, there is NO “basic human right” to marriage for homosexuals. And, while you might find the citizenship requirements for serving in parliament “stupid”, the are LAW, which brings us to another sign of dysfunction – the referral of the matter to the Left-leaning High Court, when the whole thing is plain for everyone to see in the Constitution. None of the exposed idiots has the right to be in parliament!

And, no thanks: we don't need “a Party of the Centre”. We need clear cut choices.

Finally what is this nonsense about a “ highly qualified batch of candidates...” ? There are NO qualifications for politicians – just one more reason for the dysfunction.

A "natural party of government" is a bad thing because it destroys accountability. Far better to have multiple parties competing for the centre ground.

Yes Everald, but those were the days my friend, where we thought they'd never end. Oh yes those were the days. La, la, la, la, la. La,la, la, la, la, la, oh yes, those were the days.

The days when we, using rare future vision coupled to DTE common sense and bipartisan pragmatism, grew an economy out of a basket case, war torn economy, to become the third wealthiest nation on the planet and a creditor one at that.

Yes things, places, people change, just not the very fundamentals of success, a couple of which is the provision of affordable power and shelter as a basic human right, rather than an investment per se!

And very much in vogue when our westminster system of government was populated by unpaid volunteering politicians, as opposed to seemingly failed professionals and bankrupts going somewhere to happen, trying to impose failed ideological imperatives on the nation!?

Allegedly to make a real difference! And haven't they succeeded beyond our wildest expectations?

And took the third wealthiest nation on the planet, and a creditor one at that, who still owned their economic sovereignty!

To one way down among the banana republics, below number thirty, and crawling with carpetbagging foreign investors. Only kept afloat by holes in the ground, controlled or wholly owned by foreign investors.

Moreover, the only real ideas emanating out of Canberra, is more of the same!?

Only more so! Doubled, trebled, trembling in trepidation, timidity personified and would you like fries with that?

Bold new ideas? How quaint! Old, obsolete, deleted, discontinued and off the menu!

Try across the ditch? Where they seem to have more people than power hungry, power for its own sake, polly want a cracker, pollies.
Alan B.

Hi there TTBN...

You are clearly wrong my friend when you say there are no qualification for politicians? There is a very important qualification needed; whether LNP, Labour, Greens or Independents? It's honesty; personal integrity; morality; and ethicality. Any person who enter's politics at any stratum, either federal, state, or local government: - Endowed with these simple virtues, will have the electorate eating out of their hands.

'Death of a parliament' or disregard for those 'punters'(sic)?

"Greens ignore democracy in Australia Day switch
Herald Sun
August 22, 2017 9:00pm

IF ever the Greens’ true agenda in running for local government was in doubt, this past week has demonstrated their purpose is far from improving local communities.

The Greens in recent years have mounted a concerted effort to win council seats, particularly in inner-suburban areas, not to provide efficient services for ratepayers but to use council as a platform to impose social change and activism.

Of course, these councillors are democratically elected but what is far from democratic is their arbitrary dictates — at both Yarra and now Darebin councils — to jettison Australia Day. These councils have absolutely no mandate to rob their communities of a national day where Australians celebrate what is good and decent about our multicultural country or take a pledge of citizenship.

The City of Yarra polled 281 residents, and conducted a survey of 88 indigenous people, from its population of some 90,000, and the City of Darebin had the audacity to survey 81 of its 147,000 population before banning Australia Day. Not only do these actions ignore the concept of democracy, neither council had any mandate from constituents when they were elected in October. But even more fundamentally, local government — regardless of what councillors’ personal views are — has no business intruding into national and societal issues.

According to the Local Government Act 1989, the function of council is to act in the best interests of the local community; provide services and facilities; maintain community infrastructure; undertake land use planning; collect rates; enforce local laws and oversee peace, order and good government. The Andrews Government needs to review local government legislation to prohibit the use of ratepayer funds for socio-political activism outside of council purview. We see it all the time with climate change junkets and marriage equality advocacy. While the Act says councils need to take into account the “diverse needs” of their communities that does not mean to the detriment of others or the majority."