Australia – when I am gone.

A series of articles forecasting inevitable changes in our society.

Our presently fragmented society will merge into a unified society in which differing religious and other beliefs will exist but not wreck the unity of our country, being all subservient to 'government by the people'. It will have the common themes of ‘what is good for us all in a growing multicultural population, and ‘what can we do to uplift the wellbeing of other, backward nations’. How will all this occur? While mankind has the inherent ability to think, leading to commonsense solutions. In brief, commonsense will need to become much more common.

All parliaments will be conducted without political parties which used to stir up selfish attitudes and partisan contention. State and federal parliament relationships will function in a supportive and cooperative model, crossing the dots with better linkage of policy formulation. One such radical rearrangement - See National Revival website – has important potential.

Communities will all be represented in our parliaments by independent members who, by regular forum consultation, will encourage the people to participate, resulting in a constant confidence in our parliaments to deal with stubborn problems - within the context of the above-mentioned aims and principles of unity and responsibility,. Loud and aggressive voices will have been already quietened by the civilised, face-to-face discussion in the regular forums generated by all the independent members. Frank analysis and open discussion of all controversial matters will create a close working relationship between members and constituents, giving each community a ‘friend at court’. The people will be reassured with confidence and respect for the democratic process, while each satisfactorily performing member could be unopposed at the next (very quiet) election.
Forum discussion will retain room for any citizen’s concerns to be ardently, even passionately advocated where necessary, to progress the community to effective conclusions, without the danger of loud voices (or heavy money) ever dominating the ultimate policies to be represented in parliament. In the face of the new community involvement with the independent representatives, the power of local media to wield political influence will fail.
Economic factors which trigger street crime, youth suicide, domestic tensions, drug and problem alcohol involvement, will all come under public airing and scrutiny in local meetings, developing a strong and caring community life.

More to come – crisis in our parliaments!

Letter to the Prime MInister

Dear Prime Minister, It is surely time to oust the party system which gave us the problem of the hung parliament and is now bringing Australian democracy to such disrepute as to hear our people’s parliament described as ‘toxic’, and even ‘ferocious’, on tonight’s 7.30 report.

You have a fragile hold on power but there is something you could do to commend to the people a reform that will rattle the teeth of all opponents of real democracy.

May I therefore respectfully request that you seriously consider implementing a referendum to permanently establish an electronic secret voting system for every vote of members in parliament. (Goodbye party politics!)

Ballots in our parliament will confine members to clean, issue-based debate, creating decisions by parliament itself—pure parliamentary democracy. Parliamentary debate will centre on policy persuasion, (not personalities), often being intense, even passionate, in advocacy for needed change. Decisions by ballot will be made without undue delay, accurately reflecting public opinion, as members enjoy a new freedom to consult with constituents and powerfully represent them in parliament.

There is more. Parties may come and go, but with the secret ballot established in our parliament(s), only the members, (dependent solely on their constituents for re-election) will come and go. Parliament itself being ‘the government’ could never fall.

Ministers? The members themselves will choose them—by ballot!