Let’s retain the system we have. Political candidates should be trained in devious and imaginative ways of conducting raids on the taxpayers’ purse, even if it involves theft. If caught the old trope ‘honest mistake’ can be used. Political candidates must exhibit a liking for the interior of Qantas aircraft. Candidates must also develop a liking for Vienna, Rome, New York, Paris, London and other boring destinations. The ability to distribute blame to office staff is also handy.

The chances of attracting intelligent people to govern us would be too much of a shock for the people. Why don’t I enter politics? If I brushed up against the current crop it would take me about 2 weeks to get rid of the stench

the only way i would enter politics is if i had a large business that would prosper by being thrown the short balls and goverment contracts.

otherwise, why would you cop the flack for crap money and be accountable to the entire population?

Sage: You cynic! Notice I'm not disagreeing with you though.

OP: Was Mark Latham really atypical though? Compared to smarmy little numbers I could trust about as far as I could spit a rat (eg. Kevin Rudd), yes. Compared to many of the feral top echelon of unions, no. Also, it's not like he was a stranger to (federal) politics. I don't know much about his working life, but he was involved in local politics prior to federal.

I think that without fundamentally changing the system, we will only get more of the same in politics. The whole thing is one big circus, and you have to be constantly aware of who is trying to knife you in the back (or who you want to knife). Of course, independents are on the outer with everybody, but to be anything other than an independent, just to get to pre-selection you have to be willing to get a lot of blood on your hands. Those who make it to parliament are the most piranha-like members of our society. Those who stay, doubly so (including the independents). Any normal, reasonable person can see this a mile off and runs in the opposite direction. So no, we'll never end up with decent politicians (from any party) because the term is an oxymoron.

The problem with politics is that nobody who is capable of getting a real job is interested in being a politician.

cAN'T ANYONE SAY SOMETHING THAT i CAN DISAGREE WITH, PLEASE!

For Shonga's benefit :)

The increase in "professional" politicians can only be attributed to the growing demands placed on these hard working selfless, underpaid Australians. It takes a very dedicated individual to sacrifice family life, wages that could be rightly earned in the private sector and even in some cases their very sanity in these demanding jobs.

Working hours beginning well before sunrise, with sessions often finishing way after midnight take an increasing toll on these professionals. The number of politicians, both federal and state, that have developed medical conditions, such as depression, has increased drastically over the last couple of years.

Politicians should be seen as fine artisans. Their delicately sculptured policies being maticuluously fashioned over a number of years. As masters in their crafts, is it little wonder that the choice of an apprentice should also be an art, with the apprentice undergoing extensive training in the finest academies.

/end for Shonga

Yes,politics in Australian State parliaments is for lightweights.
People with no past.
Policemen who stand in threes.one can read, one can write, and the other one,who likes to stay around intellectals.
State Parliamentarians have reached such a low standard of collective I.Q. that they need speech writers,media advisors,consultants and an army lawyers and hanger-ons,just to function.
The days when men were men have long past.
If you have never controlled more than seven people in your life,for instance in the services or business you should not have the opportunity to represent the people.
Sir Joh,ran a successful contracting business before entering parliament.
He developed Queensland to such extent that the railways showed a profit,unlike any other State in Australia.He ran the public service like a business unlike any other state.
Many parliamentarians have never travelled beyond their own state borders, let alone overseas.
These naive individuals are promoted by a Party that sees them as numbers,so why do Australians still keep voting for a Party instead of a local character with experience in people management.

response to Narcissist:

I don't know whether what you wrote was tongue in cheek, but I would have thought that you were aware of what the people really expect of a government. A marginally satisfactory first term program would comprise:

1. Trebling of government expenditure.

2. Abolition of all taxation.

3. Balance the budget, with any deficiency being made up from the sale of politicians assets.

4. Pay off the national debt.

The total failure of all politicians to implement this modest and reasonable program, whilst constantly pretending to partially do so, is the reason why when politicians were compared to used-car salesmen, the salesmen complained, and it was necessary to compare them to snake-oil salesmen. This is now deeply imbedded in out culture.

And thus is it ever so.

Paul Williams asks the question that any voter knows the answer too well

"What do we want to see in any candidate seeking public office?"

An honest man or woman of course.

I find it extremely hard to vote for the ALP- Beattie has controlled QLD for almost a decade and as far as i can tell has made a real mess of it. Doctor friends of mine tell me its incredibly hard to get a contract in QLD Hospitals- despite the fact health is listed as a priority by Beattie. The ALP is campaigning on the basis that it alone can urgently address the water problems- Um what has it done in the past ten years? Homes in SE QLD are averaging $400k-so why hasnt Beattie knocked out stamp duty as was promised when the GST was introduced?! Where does the massive revenue generated from the GST go in QLD?!

To be blantantly honest I find local and state governments in QLD an embarrassment. I cringe regularly and am constantly reminded of the dodgy MP in the film 'Muriel's Wedding'. But we have no choices. The liberals/ Nats in Qld (or whatever order they come in) are a laughing stock. For example did anyone else feel that sinking feeling when they launched the white feather stunt at the ALP offices in Townsville? It was supposed to represent the ALP's cowardice in relation to QLD health, but the poor ALP junior manning the office front desk was just as bemused as most other people. Flegg couldnt even organise a visit to a shopping centre for campaigning.

The conservative clique in QLD politics is useless and embarrasing. But what's worse it that they are facilitating the ALP's lack lustre performance- it answers to no one in QLD and it gets away with it. Beattie, Flegg, Caltabiano, Quinn Springborg- you are all a disgrace. Resign from your positions of influence and let others have a go at righting the mess you have created.Is it any wander that at a federal level, people are happy to stick with what works. No matter what you think of Johnny, at least he gets the job done. I'd like to see health and water infrastructure taken over by the federal government.

Cate stood up to Beattie & crossed the floor, & now she is out of the select group. In C.Q. he has a good old faithful in Jim Pearce, but even he has a struggle to get anything constructive done. Why, is it because he is not in the inner circle?

Winston Churchill said, "democracy is the worst kind of government there is, except for all the others."

Our system is crappy, and our leaders never give us what we want, but that's just as true of every other governmental system. The cynics put it down to the type of people who are attracted to politics, but I think the main issue is simply that democracy is fundamentally about compromise. No voter ever gets what he wants, because his wants are uncompromised, whereas politicians make decisions which are a compromise of many conflicting voter wants.

People think they want honest idealists in politics, but idealists rarely have the stomach for compromise that democracy demands. Whatever a leader's ideology, unless he respects the diverse ideologies he hopes to represent, and compromises his own accordingly, he has no business in our democratic system.

People often complain there are no real choices in politics, since both major parties really have quite similar approaches. Far from being a sign of the failure of our system, this is in fact evidence that our democracy produces moderate governments which reflect a compromise between all the conflicting views of the voters. Nobody is ever completely happy, but at least the politicians are aiming to keep 51% satisfied.

Kalin so by your measure it’s ok for the state to persecute & rob people so long as 51% are kept happy .

Mate when you’ve had much of the value of your hard earned assets stripped by a government seeking to sure up a few seats in an upcoming election you’ll understand what being part of the 49% is .

Jamo,

As I said on the other thread, democracy isn't perfect.

You are also confusing my support for our electoral system, and the type of politician it produces, with support for the government. I don't like an awful lot that this government does, and the same goes for every government we've had since I was old enough to be politically aware. My point is just that our politicians are a pretty fair compromise on the spectrum political views across Australia, or at least within each electorate.

If many people on the far right and left find politicians don’t reflect their views, that is how it’s supposed to be. The politicians aren’t supposed to reflect one group or another’s views, they’re supposed to reflect a combination of all views, because they represent the people, not the right or the left. That our political parties are so consistently moderate suggests the system is working in that regard.

Whatever your ideology, pursue it, but in a democracy, the way to further your objectives is to lobby politicians and persuade the public. Changing the electoral system isn’t the answer.

Kalin: I disgaree. Maybe the system is fundamentally flawed and needs to be changed. Likewise, maybe the problem is compromise. Maybe we don't have people of principle and so what we get is the most slimy form of populist then who will sell his soul to "represent" the people.