We have been besieged by a mentality where personality politics over ride the national political agendas. The following is what “I” expect from my political guardians.

1. Effective Boarder Security at the cost of any “mandates or protocols” signed by our ruling class to placate alien governing agencies such as the United Nations.
2. Monetary policies that advance Australia’s interest rather than the interests of the “Global Community and the international agencies that send our wealth to second and third world despots.
3. The right to engage in trade protectionism and take action if we are being used as a product dumping ground at the cost of existing local suppliers and entrepreneurs.
4. All “foreign aid” should be tied to a figure pertaining to our “national debt” rather than our GDP.
5. Foreign ownership of resources such as power and water returned to govt run Commissions.
6. Ownership of land title restricted to $500 million market value for foreign individuals companies or governments.
7. Restriction of the re zoning of our agricultural belt.
8. Caveat over the mining of all lands zoned agricultural.
9. Ongoing Government aid to small and medium scale manufacturing enterprises.
10. The retention of fully operational oil refineries.
11. The investment in a small professional army equipped with the latest technology.
12. A national Educational curriculum of basics and free universities.
13. Abolition of the Upper houses of parliament. The Australian Constitution and its “meaning in practice” to be decided by a six year term Judicial forum.

Globalization and our governments part in it has seen Keating sell off the Commonwealth Bank with the largest individual shareholders now being foreign banks.
Our Gold Reserves sold off by Howard at cut throat prices.
BHP sold at .49 cents when six months either side of the sale the Aus $ sat at .65 cents.
Our kids came LAST in a global literacy appraisal three months ago.

In six short years we have accumulated a debt nearing 200 BILLION dollars. That would have covered the cost of implementing most of the changes I have asked for.

Actually I can agree with almost all those points, except perhaps the
last one. It would need a very good argument to change the Westminster
system which has morphed & endured for centuries.
Some think a change must be for the better, but would it ?

Globalisation is already declining and will accelerate as time goes by.

Dear sonofgloin,

I'm afriad I can't concur with you on Point 13.

I'd hate to think that we could be foolish enough to put our destiny into the hands of a bunch of gin soaked magistrates.

Giving the PM's office to a sot back in the 80s should have been a warning to all of us on the dangers of alcohol!

Bazz, Mr O…….If the Coalition gets a start they have to have a Double Dissolution to ensure control of the senate to rule effectively and that is why I suggested an alternative to the upper houses. But I agree with both your thoughts.

Given we are in “election mode” I expect the televised debates will have that cretinism that is the “worm” that measures the viewers response to the liars mouthing’s as they bleat on. I suggest we strap lie detectors to the participants and let the machine adjudicate on what answers come naturally and which are sweat and palpitation inducing half truths or lies.

Then the worms may turn.....honest.

Dear sonofgloin,

Put a lie detector of Gillard? Is there such a thing as a lie detector with a billion trillion gigabytes of memory?

Mr OPINION...I must take you to task, about your rather disingenuous even pejorative remarks concerning our Ms Gillard !

That's if I can (for a moment), control my laughter that is ! I like it, I really do.

SONOFGLOIN...

You've been reading my mind again haven't you ? I do agree with everything you've proposed ? Though the removal of the house of review, packed as it is with a bunch of disruptive 'browns', worries me a little. Surely we must have some process, to take some pause, in order to closely review all proposed legislation.

I accept, there are a lot of 'logjams' therein, that require much jockeying around, admitting many an amendment and so on, but until we have a better system, I think we should ensure of it's retention for awhile ?

But everything else you've proposed, will probably qualify your automatic 'right of entry', (at 'associate' level) to the Aussie 'College of Rednecks'.

Government health ministers should initiate a review of oral health promotion to improve personal tooth care advice and prevent tooth decay, our most common disease that affects 11 million Australians each year.
Over 90% of cavities in children occur deep inside pits and fissures on the chewing surfaces of back teeth where the first bite of food is trapped and resident plaque bacteria change any carbohydrate like sugar to acid that demineralises tooth where brushing saliva and fluoride have no access to clean,neutralise acid or remineralise tooth like on easy to reach surfaces that develop few cavities.

Dear supertooth ndk,

The question posed by this thread is: What do we want from Government?

Not, What do we want from toothpaste?

Supertooth... , given we are widening the debate. What’s your take on the exorbitant charges that dental hygienists charge these days.

You can buy a small car for the cost of a set of braces. The dentists jargon for a thousand dollars is “Route Canal” isn’t it sport?

sonofgloin - There is one other thing this incompetent government has done which I totally do not like.

We now have hundreds of American troops based in Australia, not the ones that look after the American spy bases but actual combat troops.

What I want is for them to go, look at any country that have them based their, there is trouble plus they have immunity from our legal system.

The answer to the question is quite simple.....

Exactly what we had before labor came to power.

I wouldn't mind if the Government came good with the promises they made in the 60's ads for migrants. I left a great country for those promises.

I would not mind a govt which is ot afraid of telling the truth. That hard times are ahead which require that we adjust to met the challenges. That major reform lies ahead, as it has in recent decades, but how best can we use our resources to find a better policy mix that can sustain us into the future for generations to come.

Chris, I am afraid both parties, in or out of government are afraid to
tell us the truth about the future.
The government proved that by suppressing the 2010 ABRE report on
future oil supplies for Australia. I have a copy of the report and it
is available on the ASPO Australia web site.
If they acknowledged the report they would have to announce that they
were going to plan a petrol and diesel rationing scheme.
You can imagine the public's response to that.
But that is the point I am making, government is too afraid to tell
it as it is.
The time it would be put into action is indeterminate, but unless
there are unexpected developments it will be needed.

It is interesting that the same hiding of reports also took place in the US.
The UK government has been a bit more open about their problem.

The Liberal party has also been a bit twee about the report also and
while they did question the government about it they did not press it.
My local member gives all indications of not wanting to know.

We are being protected like parents protect little children from some nasty knowledge.
I use oil because that is what I know about.
What do you know about ?

Everything should be free.

All I want from government is a whole lot less.

Less interference in our lives.
Less taxes.
Less handouts.
Less telling us where & how we should live.
Less telling us what & how & where to build our houses.
Less telling us that some eyesore building must be preserved.
Less telling us some nice building should be preserved.
Less selling us a licence to do anything we want to do, or work at.

But most of all,
Less public servants.
Less universities &
Less politicians.

Oh, & less lies would be nice please.

Philip S>> We now have hundreds of American troops based in Australia, not the ones that look after the American spy bases but actual combat troops.<<

Philip, I have no issue with US servicemen up north, just down from Indonesia. The social issues and subsequent immunity to our laws is true of visiting naval vessels as well. I don't see it as an issue; in fact the military tribunals and their penalties would be more stringent than our local courts. I would rather be charged with murder in the public system than the US military system.

Chris Lewis>> , but how best can we use our resources to find a better policy mix that can sustain us into the future for generations to come<<

Chris I believe we have a political class who’s only interest in Australia’s future is their own place in it. Gillard is on half a million a year now and every year when she “retires.” What will you get?

The Coal Seam Gas lobby is full of ex National party members. The old Country Party turned Nationals are selling us out and happily taking part in the destruction of our agricultural belt and water table. How could these bastards ever have been National party advisers and politicians…it’s a sick joke, and we are the ones who will get sick.

Bazz>> My local member gives all indications of not wanting to know <<

Whoever the bludger is he doesn’t care…he is safe and pensioned to his eyeballs if the sheit hits the fan.

sonofgloin - Quote "I would rather be charged with murder in the public system than the US military system."

Part of the problem is in your reply look at the video of the Americans in the gunship shooting unarmed civilians THEY DID NOT GET CHARGED, the prison torturers did not get charged.

Why are they here, in America now the president can order drones to kill American citizens.

Give me one good reason for them to be here?

Probably Philip because the idiots in Canberra, with their massive cuts to defence spending, have left us so weak we would have trouble defending ourselves against an invasion by a Solomon Islands dance company.

If some one's going to be shot, I know who I don't want it to be.

Bazz, i live in hope that a party, and leader, will have the pragmatism, intellect and determination to summarise the situation ad offer Australia a vision that can gain consensus for major refrom, with coming pain offset by policies that temper trends to get us where we need to be.

You specialise in energy, a cucial subject which i need to take on board more. I cant really say i specialise in much. Probbaly explains why i am destined for academic mediocrity. I have always been interested in drawing the various policy pieces together, so i suppose i aspire to be a fair commentator. I have always thought that a politics student should have a good grasp of many issues, although policy specialists in one area are absolutely crucial. Therefore, i describe myself as a generalist,

At present, i am working on a piece that will seek to show the propsects for Australia from trade based on current trends. I hope it will be useful, but i will leave that to others to comment on

Phil, I can't argue with any of that, although possible, if it came to Americans slaughtering Aussie civilians an air strike fits the bill logistically.

Re a reason to have them here:

If you believe that we in Australia are in any way sovereign to our futures you are indeed naive tiger. We are tied fiscally, manacled socially and our elected representatives do the bidding of those who do not hold Australian citizenship right now, at this very point in time.

Yes Chris energy is crucial but I am afraid it is ignored and just
considered a sidetrack by many.
Onthe BBC tonight a discussion was about UK GDP. The comment was, they
have put a lot of money into the economy but it has not increased GDP>
Why is that do you think ? they say.
The economist just thought it will eventually.

So many just do not realise that growth has absolutely nothing to do with money.
They think the UK now has zero growth and one economist thinks the
UK is in contraction.
The only reason the US has got some growth is because they have had
an input of additional oil from shale and a lot of cheap gas.
However it is not cheap oil or gas so it won't last.

Well I guess we are just some insects riding a leaf down the river.

I'm with, hasbeen. He pretty much nailed it for me, only he forgot one.

Mind your own damn business!

Sorry Chris, I can't agree with any of that.

To start with I do not need, or want to be led by any one. I will chose to go up or down the garden path my self, in my own way.

You can keep your policy specialists too, thanks. They tend to be academics, & I have never yet seen one of them get something like policy right.

The last thing we need is a single policy. No single policy ever worked for very long, Follow some academics advice & you end up with all your eggs in one basket, a sure recipe for catastrophe.

We need different people, going in different directions, so as one avenue closes, as they always do, you have others going down a few more, some of which will be opening. Many will go down blind alleys, but that is their right & their own problem.

As a generalists I hope you are being torn in a number of different directions, because then there's a fair chance you will be right at least some of the time, for some of the people. Just don't try to force people to follow. Get it right & others will copy you.

The best thing about Howard was he lead no one. He just did a good job of managing the office, so others could get things done. We need another Howard.

Hasbeen, i agree with you on your major point.

'We need different people, going in different directions, so as one avenue closes, as they always do, you have others going down a few more, some of which will be opening. Many will go down blind alleys, but that is their right & their own problem'.

Yes, this is absolute key. I have written two academic articles that focus on the reality of societal players working to influence policy and not the other way around. Once this dynamic goes, a society is indeed in trouble.

I often think my efforts writing are indeed trivial when compared to people acting with their feet, say the emerging farmers group.

Also, the main reason why i am voting Coaliton this time is precisely because i think it will be more in tune with the actions of all players rather than adhering simply to economic orthodoxy. I may b hoping though.

Hasbeen, i wil add though, what if people and groups go their own way, but are obstructed severely by say demands of globalasiation, the cost of inputs, and by protective barriers that are unlikley to be removed, thus diminising the capacity fo say farmers to succeed.

Is there not then a role for the policy commentator or specialist.

You refer to Howard, but i could write heaps on policies of intervention he pursued or encouraged, includign car industry.

Surely then life in a democracy is a mixture of freedom and intervention.

For example, i am quite gloomy about Aust's indstry fortunes on recent trends, although my reseach at present (when i get time) may prove otherwise.

I dont believe she will be right mate if just let whatever will be.

In fact, i cant see one country that succeeds with such care free attitude. Yes, people should be free, but it may not always be that simple.

Chris, surely you are not suggesting freedom is complicated?

SonofGloin, why don't you put your money where your mouth is answer start a party with 12 issues (13 has no legs). You seem to have some support and another in me.

Waterhole, we could call the party "SonsofPauline," because as OSW said, my ideas earn me a doctorate at the Aussie 'College of Rednecks'.

Tis amazing that we expect migrants to be like Aussies as “we” global citizen Aussies follow the trends both social and political of the north. It turns my stomach that politicians of both persuasions have not addressed the issue of “ WE HAVE NO FUEL REFINING CAPABILITIES” as if it is of no consequence. Neither party wants a strong independent Australia, they want an Australia compliant to corporations and alien protocols from the likes of the IMF. Things have been crook in the past, but we owned ourselves and our country back then.

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
In accents most forlorn,
Outside the church, ere Mass began,
One frosty Sunday morn.

The congregation stood about,
Coat-collars to the ears,
And talked of stock, and crops, and drought,
As it had done for years.

"It's looking crook," said Daniel Croke;
"Bedad, it's cruke, me lad,
For never since the banks went broke
Has seasons been so bad."

John O’Birien

Sonofgloin you are spot on however we need immediate solutions and the first should be a Glass Steagall Act to keep the parasites at bay and the second is a new Govt Bank.