I’m sure political crises get declared somewhere in Australia on a daily basis, but I’m interested in people’s thoughts here.
What are we witnessing in terms of the life cycle of democracy as we know it?
Relax, despite the thread title I don’t want to be too dramatic, it’s more a philosophical discussion. Just a chat about it.
I raise it because I think the quarantine situation is a very, very interesting stage upon which our political actors have been placed. State, Federal, Liberal, Labor, whatever.
Because we knew - well over a year ago - that we needed dedicated quarantine facilities on an island where the only way the virus can get in is through people arriving.
It’s not a difficult task with the resources a country like ours has. Nor is it expensive - especially in relation to the havoc COVID could wreak on our economy.
I’m not sure any stable person would disagree so far. There’s nothing controversial about any of that. Risk / benefit wise, it’s a simple no-brainer.
So it’s actually incredible, when you think about, that nobody has done it. Not the states. Not the federals. It just hasn’t been done.
And it’s pretty bloody clear that’s because nobody wants to be responsible for it.
So it gets us back to the basic question: why do we have governments? If we elect them to lead and manage things for the public, for all of us, then fine.
Yet we now in a situation, created by a multitude of factors, where they’re actively avoiding doing just that? Actively abrogating their very purpose for electoral reasons?
Going so “small target” because of the media and public focus environment that they’re, quite simply, not fulfilling the purpose for which they’re meant to exist?
And what does that mean? Is it so dysfunctional - or could it soon be - that it does real damage? This quarantine thing got me thinking about it. It. Just. Hasn’t. Been. Done.
It’s a wider discussion I think, this quarantine issue is purely an example, so don’t really want to get too bogged down in it. Nor is it really a Liberal v Labor thing imo. I think there’s plenty of threads for that.
What’s the future? Is change even possible? Do we need another model, such as public representatives similar to a jury duty system (obviously you’d need some form of basic education or qualification to opt in, but you’re chosen at random). Do we simply need very long electoral terms so that governments can actually do a job without being totally focused on the next election? Can there even be change?
I know the “worst system apart from all the others” thing, but is it possible there’s some better way, where governments could and would actually govern, not just be permanent election campaign machines?
What are we witnessing in terms of the life cycle of democracy as we know it?
Relax, despite the thread title I don’t want to be too dramatic, it’s more a philosophical discussion. Just a chat about it.
I raise it because I think the quarantine situation is a very, very interesting stage upon which our political actors have been placed. State, Federal, Liberal, Labor, whatever.
Because we knew - well over a year ago - that we needed dedicated quarantine facilities on an island where the only way the virus can get in is through people arriving.
It’s not a difficult task with the resources a country like ours has. Nor is it expensive - especially in relation to the havoc COVID could wreak on our economy.
I’m not sure any stable person would disagree so far. There’s nothing controversial about any of that. Risk / benefit wise, it’s a simple no-brainer.
So it’s actually incredible, when you think about, that nobody has done it. Not the states. Not the federals. It just hasn’t been done.
And it’s pretty bloody clear that’s because nobody wants to be responsible for it.
So it gets us back to the basic question: why do we have governments? If we elect them to lead and manage things for the public, for all of us, then fine.
Yet we now in a situation, created by a multitude of factors, where they’re actively avoiding doing just that? Actively abrogating their very purpose for electoral reasons?
Going so “small target” because of the media and public focus environment that they’re, quite simply, not fulfilling the purpose for which they’re meant to exist?
And what does that mean? Is it so dysfunctional - or could it soon be - that it does real damage? This quarantine thing got me thinking about it. It. Just. Hasn’t. Been. Done.
It’s a wider discussion I think, this quarantine issue is purely an example, so don’t really want to get too bogged down in it. Nor is it really a Liberal v Labor thing imo. I think there’s plenty of threads for that.
What’s the future? Is change even possible? Do we need another model, such as public representatives similar to a jury duty system (obviously you’d need some form of basic education or qualification to opt in, but you’re chosen at random). Do we simply need very long electoral terms so that governments can actually do a job without being totally focused on the next election? Can there even be change?
I know the “worst system apart from all the others” thing, but is it possible there’s some better way, where governments could and would actually govern, not just be permanent election campaign machines?
