Would there be public motivation for taking a razor to politicians state and federal?

May 30, 2006
17,516
10,291
Canberra
AFL Club
North Melbourne
?

I thought you would know your federal parliament. 12 senators per state was part of the trade off to allow the Federation to form.

I think getting rid of the middle tier of gument, states, would be more important
Technically, the Constitution requires an equal amount from each of the Original States, with the Senate to be as close as half the size of the House as practical. That means 12 at present, due to having 150 (soon 151) HoR seats.
In 1937, for example, there were only six Senators from each State due to the HoR only have 74 seats.

The Constitution does provide for a minimum of five HoR members from each Original State. The stagnation of Tasmania's population, and decreasing as a share of national population, has been a prime reason for parliament's expansion. It keeps the HoR seats roughly in line with population while maintaining the five seats minimum. That, in turn, sees the Senate increase in size.

Note that this applies to Original States only, so if for example the Northern Territory became a State there would not be any Constitutional need to increase the number of federal MPs elected from the NT.
 

Pessimistic

Cancelled
30k Posts 10k Posts HBF's Milk Crate - 70k Posts TheBrownDog
Sep 13, 2000
86,852
42,951
Melbourne cricket ground. Australia
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Horks
News today that vic govt has over 1000 political appointees is scandalous if true. Many govt departments run on less tan that, and they mostly will be on over 100k pa

Maybe 300m dollars pa in costs
 

medusala

Cancelled
30k Posts 10k Posts
Aug 14, 2004
37,209
8,423
Loftus Road
AFL Club
Hawthorn
People want to save money on government scrap local government completely, they serve no purpose except to such funds from the council and push their own agenda rather than what is actually best for the residents.

But someone has to take brown paper bags from property developers

If anything federal parliament needs more MPs and Senators. Especially now it's where all the important decisions get made.

Lol. How many current MP's actually have anything to offer and would be remotely in demand in the real world? Its just a cesspit of staffers, union hacks, egomaniac lawyers and Arts grads.
 
May 30, 2006
17,516
10,291
Canberra
AFL Club
North Melbourne
News today that vic govt has over 1000 political appointees is scandalous if true. Many govt departments run on less tan that, and they mostly will be on over 100k pa

Maybe 300m dollars pa in costs
This is the biggest expense, and a very big policy problem. Federally politicisation of the public service was always there, it probably took off under Hawke. It accelerated and incorporated the security sector under Howard, was boosted again under Rudd where it peaked and we have probably stayed at those heights.
There is no need for departments, even something huge like DHS, to have more than a few people in their media units. Writing the occasional informational press release, or commissioning an informational ad, simply doesn't take that much.

As for PM&C, they should simply be abolished as a Department and made a very small office inside Parliamentary Services again. Instead they this super-department that delivers nothing to the public and corrupts everything that comes their way. And everything comes their way.
 
Back