Plerdsus,

Dumping the Senate is merely my personal wishful thinking: a hope unlikely to be shared by the majority who believe in the checks and balances functions of an upper house. They believe this despite the bleeding obvious – except for the independents, all Senators vote along party lines. Or else! Barnaby Joyce slipped under the net. But he has had his day (and probably his first and only go at politics) and will soon be re-educated by his colleagues. Already, he looks as though he has been in the bear pit all his life!

So, I agree with your comments on the near impossibility of the Senate ever being abolished. Politicians will never relinquish power to the people. Witness the mouth frothing in SA at the recent suggestion of introducing citizen initiate referenda. Even the lady Democrat leader turned aggressive (against it), conveniently overlooking the fact that CIR used to be Democrat policy. Once politicians get in, they don’t want to leave.

The Government attempt to put a uranium dump in SA is a prime example of the uselessness of the Senate to voters. South Australians clearly did not want the dump. The Government did not want the dump. I wrote to the SA Senators to find out what they intended to do about it. Of the two only who had the common decency and courtesy to respond, both quoted the party line and ignored the wishes of their own state.

Senator Joyce gave the idea that for a momment the Senate might look something like a State's House; Senator Joyce appears to have capitulated; and so, the possibility has gone. The Senate might as well go into recess until the next half Senate election. The alternative is Howard Government members are innoculted with a huge dose of consideration for electors other than the big end of town.

The latest issue off the blocks is single mothers being pushed into the workforce, and then being taxed to the hilt. The Coalition Government rails against academics; however, the Howard Government makes decisions without having a scrap of notion about how abusive their policies are to segments of the community. They really amount to administrative thugs.

Actually all this shows is how Labour has relied on the minor parties reflex opposition rather than sensible policies or rational argument for last 9 years. The article is nothing but partisan political ALP spin.

The Children Overboard lies are fiction of a committee with an agenda of making purely partisan attacks on the government unsupported by any evidence. The only facts about the Children Overboard stuff up are in the dissenting minority report.

The GST on food would have the tax much simpler and cheaper to administer and would have caused no long term fall out what so ever. The tax and welfare changes could have easily compensated for and cost of living increases that resulted. The fact that you can tax land, production, labour, shops and raise the admin costs of trading food but not actually tax the food itself is the sort of stupid logic of the sort of Senate Evans praises. And it is another FUD myths the ALP thinks will win them power.

David Watford

Dear Chris,

Though not a Labor voter, I fully agree with your concerns about the present plight of our state-owned Federal Senate, virtually captured by a Prime Minister, who has sadly changed from a person of decency and humility to one of vainglory. Taking an observation of Western history and philosophy from the the early Greek period, we could say that Howard has ceased to be his own man. Whether he has been reading Machiavelli, Howard, rather than the cold-eyed look of Machiavelli, has adopted the appearance more of the 19th century colonial British statesman, stiff-upper-lip and steady gaze. A look possibly more dangerous than of Machiavelli, a dumbed-down public believing that surely such a leader looking like that, is out to do good. But if our leader has taken on a 19th century personality, our public might need a few lessons in colonialism. Trading in slaves, shifting tribal borders to necessitate the practice of divide and rule, as well as the necessity to publicly hang tribal leaders in hundreds, as was done in India before Gandhi won that part of history. Looking at Howard, historically, then, we might suggest that there is a danger he might be bringing the worst out in his voting public.

Yet we must agree, Chris, that Labor followers, similar to Liberal voters, have become somewhat dumbed down by the threat of terrorism also. Terms like “scum” for all terrorists, as Mr Beazley has come out with recently, has surely added to future votes for Howard. Sometimes we could wonder that Australian Labor, similar to the US Democrats, have become jingoistically muted as the Canadian philosopher John Ralston Saul has intimated. It has got that way with foolish utterances like Beazley’s, coupled with both Beazley and Kerry saying before their nation’s elections, that now the mess has begun in Iraq many more troops should be sent in to finish the job. Certainly such rhetoric could be playing right into George W’s hands.
George C, WA - Bushbred

The Labor has no power in the Senate and aren't they squealing about it. Chris Evans' latest whinge is basically a complaint about the proper functioning of democracy where Australia has rejected the Labor party.

Hasn't the Labor party risen above scare mongering? They still treat the electorate as fear motivated. They are actually motivated by logic which is why they are not in power.

Trying to pit boss against worker while pretending to be the protector of unsuspecting public is insincere and self-serving, as is your portrayal of Howard as ideologially driven. The Left is the most ideologically driven force in Autralia today.

The unions are dead, the Labor Party is almost dead. A new oppostition is needed, but there is no alternative to a good government other than a better government. And thats what the Labor party can never be.

The issue is not just if Chris Evans is right but if he is right then why on earth did he do nothing about it, and so his party?

Last I know was that on 18 March 2003 I lodged in the High Court of Australia for a mandamus/prohibition for Australian troops to go into war unconstitutionally, as no Declaration of War was proclaimed by the Governor-General. On 19 March 2003, the very day the war commenced, the high court of Australia refused to accept the application for hearing upon its MERITS.
Labor didn’t care less about this abuse of legal power!

After 2 attempts in the Federal Court and 5 in the High court of Australia, all railroaded, finally now I have an order for the matter to be litigated, including the validity of the 2001 and 2004 purported federal elections.

I pursue that John Howard and his cronies within Section 24AA of the Crimes Act (Cth) committed criminal acts by the invasion.

Likewise so, I am exposing the rot about Industrial relations, for so far being unconstitutional and a whole lot more.
Not one did Chris Evans or for that matter any member of his political party bother to check back with me about issues. Seems that they can complain and complain but really are not at all interested to try to resolve the problems, as after all, if they can get in power they would likely likewise abuse their powers, as they did before.
Get rid of the unions in the Parliament and have only INDEPENDENTS in the Parliament. After all, isn’t Howard & Co against unionism in that regard?

See also my 30 September 2003 published book;

INSPECTOR-RIKATI® on CITIZENSHIP
A book on CD about Australians unduly harmed.
ISBN 0-9580569-6-X

Lets get real representation by kicking out of parliament all those belonging to a party, so only people representing their electorate and not party interest will vote on legislation!