One can hardly argue against such sound principles.

As for accountability slipping, I seem to remember one federal (Labor) minister who lost his job because he failed to declare a little paddington bear he brought home from England in his luggage.

Perhaps a bit over the top, but it seems now that there are no rules. Even when a controversial government agency such as Immigration stuffs things up big time, the errant minister is kept in her job.

John Howard has played a major role in the slipping of accountability, but the same trend has infected state governments too. The Tasmanian premer recently tried to hang on to his deputy (Bryan Green) even when Mr Green had admitted to seriously evading the truth in parliament - an act which formerly would have brought an instant standing down.

These are fine principles and are long overdue. But reform will only occur if parliaments are not controlled by executive government - or to put it another way - if the balance of power in parliaments is held by MPs who are not part of the governing party.

The task, therefore, comes down to an electoral one, of securing the election of representatives to hold the balance of power in parliaments who then insist upon a reform agenda for how parliaments make ministers and bureaucrats accountable.

There is no other way. The problem is, many thoughtful citizens baulk at the task of entering the electoral process because it is a murky, volatile, and difficult environment to act in. It's a catch-22: unless thoughtful citizens roll up their sleeves and enter the political arena to drive a reform agenda, the field will remain captured by the apparachiks on both sides who are more than happy to allow executive government (so long as it is their party) to dominate parliament.

So, roll up your sleeves, everyone, and let's get on with it - and let's get smart about succeeding.

Vern Hughes