Crunching numbers

Grey Power lives again!

Terubo – the first one is what we have, ie an attempt to run a proper government in a pretty traditional way with Ministers and oppositions. It hasn’t worked, because the Assembly is (understandably) small and the talent base almost non-existent. Ask yourself if you would employ any of the members if you had to pay them money from your own pocket. Ask yourself if you could not, within ten minutes, think of 17 people who could do the job much better. (There is, of course, also the pre 1989 system of benevolent dictatorship by the Federal Minister and government by clerks).

Jacross – Option 1 – given the crummy quality that gets elected, we would end up no worse off if we gave away positions in the Legislative Assembly in a raffle, or through shopper dockets. In other words, elections bring politics and politics has very little to do with running the town. It’s simply a way for the major parties to practise factional games. We wind up with too many grasping and devious bullies in office because that is how they get selected.

Option 2 – this town is full of grumpy old people who have huge experience in areas like government, academia, the community sector and the law. (I’m not one of them, but I’ve met a hell of a lot). They have time on their hands and, given their experience, would be brutal and efficient in running the ACT and its public sector. The old agency heads etc have spent years running rings around politicians and would be terribly effective in keeping the system honest and focused. Find a way to form a party that is simply about good and sensible government and see how things improve. They would lack charisma (but has anyone noticed our PM) and may not be representative (but does anyone think the drones and clones of the Assembly are a fair representation of the people of this town). Vote 1 Codgers.

terubo,
i am not sure if the pope should really comment about politics in Stanhopia.

Er, before you give us the other two answers….

what was the first one anyway?

What are the other two answers VP?

The gene pool in the Assembly is really shallow. If they were all migrated up the Hill, Stanhope might make an adequate parliamentary secretary, Barr and Mulcahy might crack it for a backbench spot with a bit of stacking and the rest of them (including the three named) would be lucky to wind up cleaning the toilets. In a body so desperately short of ability as the Assembly, anyone with more intellect than pond slime will get to the front bench. The fact that some people won’t get there suggests there’s a reason.

Two better answers suggest themselves for getting the mob out of the kindergarten that is the Assembly. But I’ll offer them only if asked.

It’d be interesting to know what the left faction thought of the reshuffle (where Corbell and Gallagher are aligned). Are they pissed? Do they still support Corbell?

Be interesting to hear Katy’s thoughts to on her factional collegues. I was conspiracising that Corbell did what he did to test the waters for a Gallagher challenge down the line.

Well, we knew the backbenchers weren’t held in high regard when the new kid (who seems to be pretty good overall) got the job ahead of them, not to mention the old drunkard Hargreaves..