Interesting article. I don't mind the lack of an upper house in Queensland so much - as so many people say, it lets governments take action without having to bargain with hostile senators. If we reinstated an upper house, I would hope that members would be exclusively independents, rather than party players. This might help to eliminate the "we're not going to let you do this because you're with the ALP" attitude you occasionally see elsewhere.

Shal, I appreciate your concern at the apparent hypocrisy here - while I didn't endure Bjelke Petersen QLD, I have studied it and can't quarrel with the accusations of corruption. It's right there in the public record. I don't think the author is denying that guilt, though. The issue is that, in 2001, the Labor Party gained an enormous responsibility - one that has led them almost beyond accountability. It is in situations like this that the unicameral system falls down. Beattie got cocky, now Bligh is cocky. They do stupid things with little regard for the people of QLD, and they apply band-aid solutions accompanied by press conferences. They know that they don't have to prove themselves, so they've stopped trying. When the margin was smaller, they had a lot more to do.

Oh, so he can write, eh?

Living adjacent to the 'Copo' electorate, in yet another National Party sinecure, I have yet to see this man, or his three pals here, ever do or say anything useful in the town.

The lack of an upper house is no problem at all. Qld is as well or badly run as every other state and terriroty in Australia, marginally less dodgy these days than WA, and most states, including NSW, seem not to be as 'apparentl;y' corrupt as Tasmania.

Now, there is a system we in Qld could aspire to. Not with an upperhouse though, but with multi-member electorates and all else that goes on down there.

The 'umble MHR has far more electors to service than the State MLA does, and does just as bad a job, so we could organise larger electorates, fill them with more plonkers to 'represent' our views, and have a mixture of perspectives, including some Green and some Extreme views (I see Pauline is considering running again).

It's not that the Committees don't work so much as the politicians who don't. They are too 'relaxed and comfortable' in the job.

Poor auld Stuart... the first time he's ever uttered a word, just before he's being chucked out.