Great article, but it really barely touches the sides of the problem.
Two important attitudes have been missed.
The first is the requirement, particularly by the ALP, that politicians vote as directed. The LNP is better, but not by a lot - although at least you don't get sacked for crossing the floor.
The second is the policisation of projects. Big projects are "for the community benefit" and encouraged. Victoria are the champions at this. Small community level projects are labelled pork-barrelling and are political poison.
In successful governments local members work hard at promoting local opportunities. The Australian PS fights this hard as they don't want the work involved in dealing with small companies and projects.
That is a good analysis. It goes to the heart of one of the reasons why Australia is well on its way to becoming a failed state. One could forgive the bureaucracy if they proved themselves to be half-competent at being the de-facto government of Australia, but that is not the case. Just a couple of examples – (1) The disastrous 2010 Queensland Health payroll software system replacement project. It ran out of control and ended up costing over $1 billion. No public servant was sacked for this incompetence. (2) Another example (of many) was the was the Federal Government’s ‘Robodebt’ overpayment recovery scheme that commenced in 2016. It delivered cruelty and injustice to its victims. And then there are the almost endless failures and massive cost overruns of the Defence Department that have left us with a joke of a defence force. Of course, the one standout government pathology that lives on and makes a point of poisoning the public discourse is the ABC.
Quoting:
“If career bureaucrats are supremely confident in their ability to deliver, they should have no problems accepting such a proposal—in much the same way the ABC should not fear adopting a subscription model given their assurances of the popularity of its content.”
One of the biggest failures of the federal Liberal-National governments of the last 20 years was their failure to clean up the ABC by dismantling the power of the ideological cabal took control of that organisation decades ago. In breach of the relevant Act requiring impartiality, that cabal has used its media distortion of perception as a weapon of deception against the interests of the Australian people. Those past Coalition Governments did not need to control the Senate to force the ABC’s political neutrality, however they failed to act when they had the opportunity. The ABC was allowed to run rampant by using its taxpayer funded dominance of the Australian media to pick-off any Australian of significance who posed a threat to the Green-Left’s tightening chokehold on Australian society. One such victim of prominence was George Pell. Another was a Liberal minister with significant leadership potential who was viciously & unjustly smeared in 2021 and driven from politics. The ABC brought all its media skills to bear to lead the orchestration of that particular political hit-job.
Because of their mindless pursuit of vacuous opinion polls instead of standing on principle, the limited intellects who run the Liberal Party have now put their party on a fast track to its own destruction. The underlying problem the Liberal-Nationals face is the catastrophic collapse of their party membership. This has led to a talent pool so shallow that they struggle to find anyone with the ability and competence required to oppose Australia’s Green-Left juggernaut. What person of ability would now want to stand up to lead the failing Liberals if they were then to be exposed to the full force of the ABC smear machine.
The chance to reform the ABC passed the Liberals by many years ago, so it is now too late. Everything points to the reality that the Liberal Party - as presently constituted - will never hold federal office again. This will leave the government of Australia in the hands of the unelected bureaucracy and its political arm, the Labor Party. Depressing, isn’t it?
In the nineteenth century it was said Prussia was not a country which had an army, it was an army which had a country. Australia is a tax mad bureaucracy which has a country at its mercy.
Any article that suggests the solution is simple, is not worth reading. Would be useful to add in the article abstract so I don't need to bother reading it.
Seriously, if it was simple, it would be done. Your issue is with elected representatives. They're the ones that employ vast empires of public servants in departments of state. They are the ones who create governance and accountability legislation creating the incentives (or lack of) for public servants, they are the ones who set the bargaining rules and ultimately sign off on ebas. They are the ones that create independent remuneration boards to set secretary salaries. And they are the ones that employ the secretaries whose salaries youre saying are too high.
If there is a 'solution' (and it's not obvious the Australian people think there is a problem that needs solving), then it's elected representatives who have to start it. So maybe aim at them first.
Love this: "I ask for your vote so that I can give you back the power to be the architect of your own life.”
But what can you expect when the country started off making its political prisoners work for nothing. What can you expect when the political class looks after vested interests and prevents producers from entering the market by the use of permitting and licensing.
Consider for instance the practices of town planners that result in the separation of home from work so that you need a car to get to the numerous locations where the the things that you need can be obtained. Once upon a time a 'town' was a place where you could walk or ride a bike to where you needed to go. Today, a town is only to be found outside the conurbations of urban sprawl where 90% of Australians spend much of time behind the steering wheel of some form of motorised conveyance.
Local Government didn’t get a gurnsey in the article and they too seem to operate on generous renumeration for those with snouts closest to the trough. One problem in Australia is our federal system, I think you will find per capita we have many more politicians and political advisors than any other nation. Abolishing Tasmania would be a good start, although I can’t see it happening. Many MPs have a staff of four advisors where 50 years ago they had one. With all the improvements in computers and communications why do they now need four?
Australia is (presently) very rich with a lot of positive momentum… which affords us (presently) with the luxury of being a bunch of (mostly) gullible/ignorant/stupid/entitled sheep.
Grim reading for a Sunday
Great article, but it really barely touches the sides of the problem.
Two important attitudes have been missed.
The first is the requirement, particularly by the ALP, that politicians vote as directed. The LNP is better, but not by a lot - although at least you don't get sacked for crossing the floor.
The second is the policisation of projects. Big projects are "for the community benefit" and encouraged. Victoria are the champions at this. Small community level projects are labelled pork-barrelling and are political poison.
In successful governments local members work hard at promoting local opportunities. The Australian PS fights this hard as they don't want the work involved in dealing with small companies and projects.
That is a good analysis. It goes to the heart of one of the reasons why Australia is well on its way to becoming a failed state. One could forgive the bureaucracy if they proved themselves to be half-competent at being the de-facto government of Australia, but that is not the case. Just a couple of examples – (1) The disastrous 2010 Queensland Health payroll software system replacement project. It ran out of control and ended up costing over $1 billion. No public servant was sacked for this incompetence. (2) Another example (of many) was the was the Federal Government’s ‘Robodebt’ overpayment recovery scheme that commenced in 2016. It delivered cruelty and injustice to its victims. And then there are the almost endless failures and massive cost overruns of the Defence Department that have left us with a joke of a defence force. Of course, the one standout government pathology that lives on and makes a point of poisoning the public discourse is the ABC.
Quoting:
“If career bureaucrats are supremely confident in their ability to deliver, they should have no problems accepting such a proposal—in much the same way the ABC should not fear adopting a subscription model given their assurances of the popularity of its content.”
One of the biggest failures of the federal Liberal-National governments of the last 20 years was their failure to clean up the ABC by dismantling the power of the ideological cabal took control of that organisation decades ago. In breach of the relevant Act requiring impartiality, that cabal has used its media distortion of perception as a weapon of deception against the interests of the Australian people. Those past Coalition Governments did not need to control the Senate to force the ABC’s political neutrality, however they failed to act when they had the opportunity. The ABC was allowed to run rampant by using its taxpayer funded dominance of the Australian media to pick-off any Australian of significance who posed a threat to the Green-Left’s tightening chokehold on Australian society. One such victim of prominence was George Pell. Another was a Liberal minister with significant leadership potential who was viciously & unjustly smeared in 2021 and driven from politics. The ABC brought all its media skills to bear to lead the orchestration of that particular political hit-job.
Because of their mindless pursuit of vacuous opinion polls instead of standing on principle, the limited intellects who run the Liberal Party have now put their party on a fast track to its own destruction. The underlying problem the Liberal-Nationals face is the catastrophic collapse of their party membership. This has led to a talent pool so shallow that they struggle to find anyone with the ability and competence required to oppose Australia’s Green-Left juggernaut. What person of ability would now want to stand up to lead the failing Liberals if they were then to be exposed to the full force of the ABC smear machine.
The chance to reform the ABC passed the Liberals by many years ago, so it is now too late. Everything points to the reality that the Liberal Party - as presently constituted - will never hold federal office again. This will leave the government of Australia in the hands of the unelected bureaucracy and its political arm, the Labor Party. Depressing, isn’t it?
In the nineteenth century it was said Prussia was not a country which had an army, it was an army which had a country. Australia is a tax mad bureaucracy which has a country at its mercy.
Any article that suggests the solution is simple, is not worth reading. Would be useful to add in the article abstract so I don't need to bother reading it.
Seriously, if it was simple, it would be done. Your issue is with elected representatives. They're the ones that employ vast empires of public servants in departments of state. They are the ones who create governance and accountability legislation creating the incentives (or lack of) for public servants, they are the ones who set the bargaining rules and ultimately sign off on ebas. They are the ones that create independent remuneration boards to set secretary salaries. And they are the ones that employ the secretaries whose salaries youre saying are too high.
If there is a 'solution' (and it's not obvious the Australian people think there is a problem that needs solving), then it's elected representatives who have to start it. So maybe aim at them first.
Profoundly disturbing.
Love this: "I ask for your vote so that I can give you back the power to be the architect of your own life.”
But what can you expect when the country started off making its political prisoners work for nothing. What can you expect when the political class looks after vested interests and prevents producers from entering the market by the use of permitting and licensing.
Consider for instance the practices of town planners that result in the separation of home from work so that you need a car to get to the numerous locations where the the things that you need can be obtained. Once upon a time a 'town' was a place where you could walk or ride a bike to where you needed to go. Today, a town is only to be found outside the conurbations of urban sprawl where 90% of Australians spend much of time behind the steering wheel of some form of motorised conveyance.
Local Government didn’t get a gurnsey in the article and they too seem to operate on generous renumeration for those with snouts closest to the trough. One problem in Australia is our federal system, I think you will find per capita we have many more politicians and political advisors than any other nation. Abolishing Tasmania would be a good start, although I can’t see it happening. Many MPs have a staff of four advisors where 50 years ago they had one. With all the improvements in computers and communications why do they now need four?
Australia is (presently) very rich with a lot of positive momentum… which affords us (presently) with the luxury of being a bunch of (mostly) gullible/ignorant/stupid/entitled sheep.