wilful
Larry Dwyer (12)
We are severely over-governed in Australia as a result of our colonial past. I largely agree with an attempt to streamline the process with either eliminating or amalgamating levels of government. However, the issue is how best to do it? To amend the constitution you would have to gain not only the majority of voters but the majority of states and regardless who is in power at the federal level I cannot see either party at the state level backing such a move.
How I would go about it would be to first forcibly amalgamate local government structures by raising the requirements to form councils to 1,000,000 person in metropolitan areas, 500,000 for the more populous regional area's and 100,000 in greater country areas. This would drastically cut council numbers nationwide by as much as half.
On the state and federal level I would move the required 40,000 needed to form a state seat to 80,000 and 80,000 (I actually think it's higher now) to 160,000 for federal seats. Basically double everything to halve the current size of each model. This is probably the only way I could see if feasibly happening.
I'm not so sure we are overgoverned. But anyway. One of the best things that Jeff Kennett did was cut the number of councils in Victoria from 270 to 75.
I heard that in Queensland Beattie wanted to do the same but it was too unpopular.