That might be just a little harsh, Sancho.

>>The US has very little to offer Australia by way of improvements to government.<

At County level, the people get to directly elect key executive positions, in addition to the equivalent of our local councillors. Just google a US county at random, and you'll find that they range from Police Chief to Auditor, and usually serve a four year term before having to subject themselves again to the will of the people.

This tends to engender considerably closer connection between the public and their public servants.

It should also not be forgotten that the US operates a voluntary voting system, which we could also usefully learn from. This would probably need to go hand-in-hand with the above, though. It would be embarrassing to suddenly grant voluntary voting powers to a country so disenchanted with its political landscape.

One can only imagine what might happen in NSW if we were allowed to abstain from voting for Nathan Rees or Barry O'Farrell.

There'd be tumbleweed rolling through the deserted polling booths...

That's another major point Pericles- I'm rather dumbstruck by the notion that putting a local representative of a couple thousand people to a seat in parliament- whose function may vary from having zero say in parliament to controlling the entire country- all based on nothing more than an internal random arrangement by the seat-holders of the winning party, is in any way more 'transparent' than electing reps directly into an intended role.

And it would also add a lot more independence from the 'ruling party' if each departmental head was voted in under a separate ballot space- that way you could actually put the appropriate party in a suitable department, instead of just choosing randomly between the best of whichever party got the most votes- knowing that every aspect of governance is done so according to the will of a few major party heads- any departments not on their mind simply being afterthoughts. Plus it means an independent actually COULD run a department- fat chance under our current arrangement.

As for voluntary voting- I'm all for it- tumbleweeds or not- if someone doesn't care, he/she shouldn't be expected to donkey vote. Although some food for thought- perhaps all citizens are compulsorily added to the electoral role- but can opt-out after making at least one vote. (and obviously opt-in at a later point if they so choose).

And there definitely needs to be some thought to reorganizing our hierarchy (local, state, national etc). And of course, shifting electoral access from multiple local/regional seats to a single state/federal paper.

Voluntary voting could leave the door open to corruption, i say.
You should be proud to be called upon to cast a vote.
Wouldn't most people vote for the party and not the individual, as in 123-65.
Compulsary voting is lucky it is not labeled a breach of privacy or a communistic idea.
If voting were optional, you would have people not voting because of the weather, or an offer of a bbq somewhere , or just a good day to go fishin.

I find it hard to believe that any fault can be found in voter’s rights to elect a candidate of their choice whether it is police chief, or mayor.
The pollies are the first to quote you get what you pay for.
The USA model expects performance from its local council and they handle multibillion dollar transactions on a daily basis. Unlike the local councils in oz, that once their budget deadlines are met, figures out ways to travel to fact finding mission in Bali.

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26319890-2682,00.html

If one checks the poll results it’s greater than 90% no confidence in the SA police in the attached link
The newspapers of Australia where an article like this gets one days headline then is removed from archive make one think that’s running the country
Australia’s government that couldn’t run a soap box derby, let alone
The financial experience to organize a chook raffle, and is generally totally incompetent when it comes to economies of any scale. so aptly pointed out by Sancho in the loans affair and the dismissal of Gough Whitlam.

"If voting were optional, you would have people not voting because of the weather, or an offer of a bbq somewhere , or just a good day to go fishin."

Yes, because these are exactly the kind of people that would research candidates and vote seriously.
Optional voting NOW!