"yes to all".

all these yes votes come so unthinkingly...so being as i am i will try to make a case for maybe..[or maybe not]..in reality i know its going to be the same boys clubs running the sshow either way[and supreem power corrupts absolutly

<<Should the federal govt take over the health care system.>>in light of the abuses of subsidising medicine...and seeing as 2/3 rd of the current costs go to admin...im guessing govt affects should be minimised..

[privatise the bloominmg lot..[govt shouldnt be running hospitals]..legislate that docters and nurses/cleaners expenditure..should outnumber admin expenditure

<<Should the federal govt take control of the river murray system.>>it should not be buying back water licences...but should legislate the more you want the more you pay

<<Should AU move toward a republic.>>it affectivly allready is..[what we really need is that constituted oversight body...we somehow never got...before we change what we are..[please explain what we are...

we are a british colony...not a nation...maybe gg should be appointed by the people..popular vote...and he/she solely conducts audits of all govt agencies/minesters

<<Should local councils be disbanded in favor of a central authority>>too much admin..[lets appoint thousands of lord majors/administrating auditors..

[who run suburbs/streets..[not towns/cities]...order/tender out maintainance of all the inground infastructure/ser-vices..including police/courts/prisons/hospitals/school/old peoples homes

who spend their time being overlord/master delivering all govt services..accountably..to his fiefdom..[minimum admin..[maximum oversight by gg dept]...many small fish...[no big ones]..plenty of auditors policing the cash flow

Rechtub you are right on one thing Labor can not rule forever, but three terms are assured.
And your blindness to the GFC is funny, true you make me grin.
Mostly the conservatives while not yet finding a path to return to office will be better for an understanding they are no longer born to rule 12 years from now?
Bill Shorten for PM .

A big NO to all of them - "Government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem." RR.

Especially the Republic question. Young people love Australia's British heritage and they've never been more proud to fly the Australian flag. You can see this at all major gatherings of young people, they cover themselves with the flag.

If Australia becomes a republic, the country will look like Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia within 2-3 generations. This is unpalatable to Australia's Anglo-Saxon majority. Young people don't want Australia to be an Asian country with Europeans living in it, but they want it to be a European country with Asians living in it.

TRUTHNOW78
"If Australia becomes a republic, the country will look like Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia within 2-3 generations. This is unpalatable to Australia's Anglo-Saxon majority"
We speak for a political system you speak for a race! Do you represent the Australia's Anglo-Saxon?
Do not you know that about 75% of australians are against the monarchy?
TRUTHNOW78 is it truth that:
1)Australia's Anglo-Saxon are against monarchy in high degree? or
2) All Australia's Anglo-Saxon support monarchy but they are only 25% of Australian population?
3. If the non Anglo-Saxon are against the monarchy, then monarchy divides australian society, damages australias interests and Australia MUST BECOME REPUBLIC THE SOONEST POSIBLE!

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Evidently we have a few fans of big bureaucracies here. No doubt you all thought Bush's amalgamation of a whole pile of departments into a single Department of Homeland Security was a good idea too.

In my experience dealing with a local is always better than dealing with a cog in a wheel managed by some faceless bureaucrat 1000's of km's away. If I have a problem with my rubbish removal, or local roads, I would like having the people who ultimately responsible local, as opposed to being in some inaccessible office half way across the country. My state member being responsible for police and hospitals instead of some yobbo in Canberra sounds good to.

Another advantage is you get to see different ways of doing things tried out in each jurisdiction. You get to compare the outcomes. Such diversity is good, usually.

The Murray is different. It crosses state boundaries. It looks like each state plundered it for what they could get - bugger the others. Its a fine illustration of the tragedy of the commons. If it was Federally managed presumably our political system would ensure everybody gets equal access.

Be careful what you wish for though. Adelaide, capital of the driest state in the driest continent on the planet, just published their water plan for this century. In it they anticipate their population doubling. If they get equal votes these extra voters will insist their share of the Murray water gets flushed down Adelaide toilets, rather than being used for growing food where it falls. Personally, I think it would make more sense if they were forced to only use water from local rainfall. Keeping the Murray state managed may well ensure that outcome.