THIRTEEN layers of government for 20 million people, that's 1.5 million per layer compared with New Zealand's ONE layer. Is that system cost justifiable directly and in terms of the interstate bickering and jockeying for a slice of the action, the pie? And then, if not enough, those layers influence labour prices? It seems like something more appropriate to pre 1989 behind the Iron Curtain.

All but less than 20 per cent of labour is uncontrolled in reality. Why are we holding onto to a dinosour of a system that believes that labour is in reality determined by the open market?

New Zealand has the Population of Sydney and is tiny, why do we keep comparing things to our Kiwi cousins who's largest export since the EU is thier population.

Huddart Parker was a High Court Case in 1909. Justice Higgins, outlining the majority verdict, described a list of horribles that would destroy the federal balance -- a warning about construction federal power over corporations too widely. Federal hotel licences given to any hotel that is incorporated. State libel laws could restricted to newspapers owned by individuals. Religous tests for corporate directors, and doctrinal schools in lighthouses.

We can easily add to this list. Private schools and private hospitals are corporations. Road projects and tollways are managed by corporations. Utilities are corporatised.

Australians have rejected referendum after referendum to stem the tide of federal power. In 1973 Commonwealth Control of Incomes was rejected. In 1911, 1913, 1919 and 1946 the people rejected Commonwealth Control over industrial relations.

The Workchoices legislation, if accepted, will complete the emasulation of the states, changing the constitution without approval by the people.

Conservatives will rue the day federal Labor or a party of the left can use the corporations power to nationalise industries or sweep in a completely different set of IR reforms.

Country Unionist:

People in this country have not experienced greater prosperity since before the day of Higgins when we had the highest GDP per a capita in the world. The market is just the sum total of all the individuals whom participate in demanding certain goods and services, the market isn't some boogy man, it's moms and dads, it's you, it's me, it's everybody. A free market is simply the greatest form of democracy and meritocracy all rolled into one.

That last paragraph was just jibberish, so I won't even attempt to address it.

Another words, isn't it time we reduced governance in Australia, to take more charge of our own affairs instead of selling out to the thirteen layers of government (where even NZ has four million per its one layer).

Does controlling less than 20 per cent of labour by all that bureacracy is that not a vestige of a past that has gone like the Iron Curtain and its failed system?

Isn't it time we acknowledge control of labour is in reality a play by power, including by unions who in reality, despite claims of "workers's rights" is in reality about priveliges of some at the expense of non-members. And if you agree, what then is left? Nothing.

We need a new constitutional convention to end the vertical fiscal imbalance (the states relying on the commonwealth for funding) and CLEARLY states unequivically the seperate spheres of influence for each group.