America's "Issues and Insights", referring to some of that countries businesses planning to restart after being ruthlessly closed down because of the
China virus, believe that political schemes are not needed by the governments that closed them down in the first place. In fact, "It’s not only beyond their legitimate functions, it’s beyond their abilities". Same as Australia then. Governments stuff things up. Particularly in Australia, where we have Lefties praising Morrison's economic vandalism. He's not so 'right wing' now, it seems; he's chucking other people's money around just the way they like. Too bad about the workers the Left used to care about who've lost jobs they stand a good chance of never getting back.

Governments should stay out of the way and let the wisdom of markets steer the economy back to normal. But, no. They can't resist wielding the power voter complacency has gifted them; once they have, it's very hard to take it away.

The governor of California makes no bones about what he hopes to achieve from the virus crisis and the power politicians have awarded themselves. He "absolutely" sees it as an opportunity to "reshape the way we do business and how we govern". Think Victoria's Dan Andrews for starters, although in the lust for power, there is little difference between the Left and what passes for the Right these days. Look at our PM: he is loving it. Our politicians have become an amorphous blob.

Deep down, socialists and central planners have wanted a catastrophe to occur that would help them replace capitalism with socialism. For the first time in a hundred years, the China virus has given them that opportunity , and they are making the most of it.

Economist, Alan Moran, begins a list of hints for the government by acknowledging the “ …. losses by the Commonwealth’s generosity with our savings and future incomes”. He thinks that the big test for the Morrison government will be understanding the damage done by:

The creation of things like the Fair Work Commission.

The preponderance of national parks outweighing productive land for farming, logging and mining.

Greenhouse emission policies and subsidised renewable energy which has trebled the cost of electricity.

The theft from farmers of 20% of irrigation water in the Murray Darling Basin for “spurious and often counterproductive environmental flows.

Massive funds spent on “falsely propagating the myth that the Great Barrier Reef is being endangered by global warming and farm run off”.

Most of the environmental laws “accumulated” over the past 50 years.

Lack of the sort of political resolve “not seen since the Hawke government.

The government needs to understand, most of all, the damage created by all the regulations controlled by ideological bureaucracies for their own benefit.

Did I hear someone say, “Fat chance”?

ttbn,
Are you aware that replacing markets with central planning is now something most socialists oppose? It may have been the defining feature a century ago, but socialism's moved on. The "deep down" wish for a catastrophe looks to me like nothing more than speculation from someone who doesn't understand them. It's far more likely that what they really want is for their ideas to be seriously considered at al times, not just when there's a catastrophe.

And please stop calling it "the China virus" - it wasn't the first virus to come out of China, and it won't be the last!

As for the views of a particularly stupid economist, his advocacy of treating the environment with contempt may resonate with the dinosaurs on this board, but the younger generations (and even many in the older generations) find it abhorrent.

He has got one thing right, though: the Hawke government was the last one to have substantial political resolve.

ttbn

really it is quite easy to see what Government needs to do. The reality is that politics won't allow it. Really just look at what has taken place over the last 10 years

-billions and billions spent on education while grades continue to fall (the more failure the more rewards)
-billions and billions wasted on renewables while electricity prices dramatically increased
-billions spent on submarines we will never get
- totally inflated public service at State and Federal levels
-huge amounts of wealth producing areas locked up only to be burned by bushfires thanks to Green ideology
-absolute traitors in Government signing our sovereignty away to thins such as the Paris fraud

even during this pandemic teachers unions dictating to Premiers what they can and can't do

I pray my pessimistic nature turns out to be false however the regressives world view has now managed to seep deep into a very dumbed down generation. Look at those totally ignorant fools encouraged by teachers to shut down our cities in the name of climate change recently. The outlook for my grandkids let alone kids is not all that great. Thankfully 2 of them are on the public purse so we be somewhat insulated from the pain that many who work in private enterprise experience. Hopefully their will be some sort of awakening as a result of this pandemic. A few people are mouthing the right words but need to show a bit of courage in setting up a future in this country.

runner,

I agree with your assessment. The China virus has been a boon for the big-spending, power hungry socialists, many of whom now reside in the LNP, not just in Green Labor. Commentators have reminded us that about half of the Liberal party room still sided with the wrecker of the party, Turnbull, when he was sacked as PM. And they are still there.

A few minutes ago, I read a suggestion that, if the current economy destroying restrictions are not eased soon (given the good results in the fight against the China virus) one reason could be to prolong the crisis long enough to blunt the perfectly valid criticism that governments at all levels in this country massively over-reacted to a threat they didn’t take the time to methodically assess.

Given the characters displayed by our politicians (read PM, very much a one man band) and public officials, I don't find that comment in the least cynical.

without eradication or an effective vaccine the only success now is not having our health system over run. Personally I don't think the Government knows what to do now and I would not be wanting to make the decision. That said adults and seniors should be able to make up their own mind as to the degree of risk they want to expose themselves to. Having only 10 at a funeral and disallowing grandparents from seeing their grandkids is verging on criminal as both these activities can be done at minimal risk. Also though I don't like to see anyone losing their jobs it is verging on criminal to keep paying hundreds of thousands of state and federal public servants at the same rate while many hard working people have had their livelyhoods ruined. No doubt you still have the likes of the Humans Rights commission looking for victims they can somehow justify their obscene salaries.

Change has only ever been achieved by people
mobilising and shifting broader public opinion
thus forcing government to act or the opposition
to change its policy in order to look like a real
alternative, regardless of who's heading them up.

If we continue to believe that the answer rests
in a group of self-interested politicians jostling
to get to the top job then unfortunately we're
going to continue to get the governments and leadership
we deserve.

One can complain forever.

However, democracy only works by people/parties running for parliament, and people then voting for them.

Nothing stopping anyone running.

as it stands, most people give their primary vote to Labor or the Coalition.

They do this despite the rise of One Nation, the Bernadi Party and so on.