The debate around our PM, Labor leadership & Opposition reflects badly on our understanding of our democracy. We are not a monarchy where the leader of the winning party at an election is crowned Queen or King. We have 220 Federal MPs over half of whom share the credit or blame for how Australia is governed. The same applies in each state or territory.

Politicians are ordinary folk, not a special race flown in from outer space with super-human qualities. According to Lord Acton “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. We have a choice to disperse that power and engage with all our elected politicians to guide them in their duties.

Make the most of democracy. Let us listen to each other, be prepared to change our minds and recognise that others are entitled to a different opinion without being denigrated.

Let us put forward what we would like for our country, state, city, town or suburb. Let us agree by consensus on some of those points and work together with our elected politicians to make it happen. When the people work with all of the politicians then great things can be achieved.

Let’s put party politics aside. Your views are important!

Residents Roundtables

Your points are valid albeit far too lenient on the bloodsucking parasites. A better version of the Lord Acton quote is that of David Brin 'It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.' The 'sane' point is particularly relevant to the red-headed witch & the RAbbott, neither of which creatures have any qualms whatever about the most underhanded activities to maintain their position. One really shouldn't describe these slimeballs as grubs, because grubs are noble creatures put here by the Bloke upstairs to do environmental stuff whereas red-headed witches & RAbbotts provide no discernable benefit to anyone but themselves.

citizens initiated referundum would be a far more democratic Government system than what we have. The Greens social engineering have shown how undemocratic we have become. Lets vote on carbon tax, same sex 'marriage ' , death penalty, immigration etc. Give the corrupt socialist UN and its conventions the flick. It will also stop the likes of Mr Rudd destroying our nation by sucking up to the UN. Government would be much smaller and the will of the majority would be done.

I watched Tony Windsor on "Lateline" last night.
He made a few relevant points, one of which was
that Australians are not used to having a
"Minority" government and they don't quite realise
what that entails. Australians act as if they have a majority
government and they don't realise how much negotiating
has to be done in order to achieve anything.

Windsor
pointed out that had Mr Abbott won this minority
government he would have been hopeless in the job
because he simply is not a "negotiator." He wouldn't
have been up to the task. Whereas the PM is a good
negotiator and has
negotiated very well, and has had much worthwhile
legislation passed. Legislation that is for the
long-term (not a knee-jerk - short term result).

Unfortunately, however, the government has not been
very good at "selling" their achievements. And therein
lies the problem.

People living overseas see our country in totally
different terms. They are envious of what we have and
how well we are doing. They are amazed that some
Australians want
a change of government. Perhaps Australians need to
travel more to get a better picture of how lucky they
really are. Either that or talk to foreign visitors
instead of buying the spin, rhetoric, and adverse
media hype.

Hopefully we shall see exactly what the Opposition has
on offer prior to the next election. That real policies
will be presented and discussed by voters and the media.
After all a democracy requires its citizens to make
informed choices. If citizens or their representatives
are denied access to the information they need to make
these choices, or if they are given false or
misleading information, the democratic process becomes a
sham. Under such circumstances the people cannot use
their rights in a meaningful way.

Lexi - People living overseas see our country in totally different terms. They are envious of what we have and how well we are doing. They are amazed that some Australians want a change of government.

Its not only offshore folk who are blinkered. South of the border mexicans apparently believe Queenslanders are on a good wicket when the vast majority of those who live here are seriously considering learning voodoo to get rid of General Disaster. One can only assume the media generally manages to pull the wool over the eyes of sheeple everywhere on the planet. Anyone seriously considering the RAbbott as an alternative to the red-headed witch really should spend a few days up here talking to some of the victims of General Disaster (thats 95% of the population)

We have the same problem as America has, it was predicted there 100's of years ago.

The party system is the problem basically as in the USA we have 2 party's the MP's from those 2 party's are told 99% of the time how to vote.

Should someone go against what the party says at the next election they find them self not being endorsed again.

The real question is WHO is pulling the strings of each party?
That is where the power is held.