I don't think the level of incompetence in government departments should be tolerated any longer. From health to judiciary to approval of outrageous public funding it's all gone too far. I'm sure we could all work together on solutions. Put forward your suggestions. Let's have a go.

indi, i've been putting my solution on this site for months. it's summed up as 'democracy'.

there can be no accountability to the people without democracy, the rule by the people.

unfortunately, over the last 30-odd years, i have discovered that a capacity for democracy can be obliterated by growing up in a parliamentary society. there may even be an element of genetic selection for submissiveness here.

perhaps later generations will escape the cultural incapacity, but i would bet against it, reluctantly. so get used to incompetence in your masters, their guild selection criteria are concerned chiefly with 1:"getting on top" and 2:"staying on top".

actual management of public affairs comes after this and is merely 'pass/fail', with 'fail' only being recorded if the murdoch press begins to complain.

sorry, mate, but you're a serf. keep your head down and read the footy section, or the racing guide.

The perfect political system is yet to be invented.

Democracy doesn't work - for a myriad of reasons.

Nor does communism, dictatorship, or any other political modus operandi you care to name.

Hernando de Sota's excellent book entitled "The Mystery of Capitalism - why it works in the West and nowhere else" is worth a read as to why democracy and capitalism are mutually contradictory objectives.

Just my 2c

I'm not inclined to to think that it is any actual political system that is the main cause of the appalling state in Govt departments. In my experience it is the public servant culture. People who are totally inadequate but get promotion after failing in the previous position. That system must go. I suggest petition the Governor General to get the Law Reform Commission do earn their Dollar. We always hear the excuse "yes, but it's the Law" in situations wherein obvious moral wrong occurs. Well, we have a Law Reform Commission & a Public Service Commission & we have a constituional right to request that public servants, especially the very highly paid ones, should be demoted back or moved sideways to a position in which they can perform rather than having to be promoted to be gotten rid of. There are many capable people out of work because of useless Public Servants under the protection of the Public service Union. It's one thing to stand up for peoples' rights & another for preventing peoples' right to a competent public service.

Spot on individual.

And when one of these hopeless one's are uncovered they cry bulling,

and ,as they are now a known waste of space, there fellow useless

cubicle cockroach's keep up the charade to keep them there.

I've heard them say " It's the law " in their first sentence and then

in the second brush off the law they just broke. It truly amazes me to

see government throw tens of millions of our money at a problem and

all we end up with is another building full of cubicles filled with

consultants to tell the lifer employees that they are the problem and

then see the same lifers wait until their contracts are up and then

discard all the advice and continue about their useless ways.

But as a few in these forums have said what i nearly totally believe.

That the people of this land are getting what they voted for.

And the cubicle cockroach's remain immune from from any inquiries as

they are the one's that do the investigating of themselves and their

workmates .

It truly is a sad state of affairs that when i talk about it anywhere

all i get is ,there's nothing we can do, or, it doesn't affect me.

All i can say to our newest immigrants is welcome to real Australia.

One of the ways to limit the damage of poor governance is to limit the head of state to a two term limit as is done in many countries, socialists and democracies.