A television media news report stated the Trade Union Royal Commission was to cost $58 million.
Royal commissions are an opportunity for politicians to be seen as being third degree grilled on their honesty. No one goes to jail.
The last 3 Labor leaders have spent time being asked questions by a royal commission. No one goes to jail.
There are intelligent theories to why real democracies don't work and therefore don't exist. Problem with democracies are that real open to everyone candidate democracies, will attract people whom have corrupt selfish intentions. Rich people; the Mafia; local and foreign criminal organisations; drug cartels; KGB/CIA; foreign governments and corporations that have local currency built up in banks from importing trade goods. Bribery; assassination threats; buying out media organisations; inventing scandals; buying main party candidate selection votes. I believe most people believe a media's ability to expose corruption is the reason for real democracies. Can't have a democracy without transparency.

A problem is that even if the most honest candidates ran and win elections, all elected candidates understanding the above problems with real democracies would argue that real democracies should be controlled so as to allow governments to rule for realistic governing reasons. What would happen would be that some self-proclaimed ruling class dictatorships would be taken over by opposing interests, military, etc. Factions believing they could do a better job, would conspire with each other similar to parliament democracy leadership changes. Dictatorships controlled by factions wouldn't work. Hitler dictatorships would be allowed if only to have a consistent government.

A better solution would be to elect families to become a birth right ruling class, wealthy enough to be incorruptible, crowning one member king or queen. History shows how well that works.

To me, politicians are doing no more than putting on dramatic' democratic, embarrassment, entertaining performances.

Whatever happened to John Howard's statement relating to a royal commission into late 1990s AMP IPO float? AMP opening at $20 a share, AMP share price spiked at $35, many people paying $35 a share, shares quickly going back to $20 a share?

Wake up. This is not real democracy. More like a demockery.

If your so keen on a dictator Im sure the Nth Koreans will welcome you in and the Saudi royal family will be happy to subjugate you.

Todays politicians are appalling scum only interested in serving their masters in big business and the murdock hate media.

Bill Shorten showing contempt for Royal Commission is amazing. Imagine a Catholic Priest doing the same.

Hey Mikk, at least under this repressive totalitarian society we live in, you can still go out the street and say "Todays politicians are appalling scum only interested in serving their masters in big business and the murdock hate media."

North Korea's leader would blast you with a howitzer in front of your family for saying you don't like his hair cut.

What's keeping you here if you don't want to live under an evil dictatorship. Maybe you better escape while you still can.

Runner. Explain how you think Shorten has shown contempt toward the Royal Commission.

"Bill Shorten showing contempt for Royal Commission is amazing. Imagine a Catholic Priest doing the same."

Lol!, runner...you mean something like Cardinal Pell comparing the Catholic church to a trucking company regarding its cover-up of child abuse within the organisation?

Which brings us back to the point that Abbott pulled $30 million out of the RC into institutional child abuse and funnelled it straight into TURC.

Defend that?