It's the Prime Minister who chooses the government
members to be ministers. He expects them to work
together on behalf of the government. There are usually
20 ministers in the House of Representatives and
about 10 in the Senate.

We can only presume that the Prime Minister chooses
experienced and knowledgeable government members to
be ministers. But as we've seen - that has not always
been the case.

I have always believed that representatives in Government should be from heads of business and departments to properly represent the need of their interest. That they only serve while they head up what they represent. Like Education head of the education department, like army the head of the armed forces, like transport, Like aboriginal affairs one appointed by the tribes to represent them etc etc. This way we get proper understanding of needs and public funding where it is reguired, say from Mining, Agraculture and exports and manufacturing etc etc

Dear Josephus,

That would be ideal.

"Heads of business".

At one time perhaps,Josephus, but not any more, given business leaders' virtue signalling and barracking for zero emissions nonsense.

"Department heads".

Never. You are showing a belief in a 'management class' that thinks it can run any sort of enterprise. The sort that thinks that the sacked CEO of Australia Post can take over the AFL when Gil McLoughlin retires soon.

ttbn, Because there is a diverse cross section of community there is natural checks and balances. There would not be Department heads earning millions of Dollars as they are spending the money of the productive section represented in Government. Government members would be like a Senate and only receive an allowance above their awards to cover their costs.

They would be voted into the position by their peers, eg transport may need Road passenger and Freight, Rail passenger and Freight, Shipping freight, cruise and pleasure craft, Air passenger and freight; and transport workers union, and a services union.

While there's no academic pre-requisite to becoming
a politician, arts and law degrees are common amongst
Aussie MPs.

Josh Fydenberg is arguably one of the most educated
of our politicians. He completed a law and economics
degree (with honours) from Monash university, then went
on to get a Master of Philosophy, and a degree in
International relations at Oxford. After that he completed
a Masters of Public Administration at Harvard.

There's three Coalition members _ Michael McCormack,
David Littleproud and Daren Chester - who have no
tertiary education. And of course Pauline Hanson left
school at 15 as did Jacqui Lambie. Which just goes to
show that qualifications don't often count as much as
a person's skills and abilities.