Who Would Want Their Home in Such a Sorry State?

 

Proposals to mine coal seam gas under the Great Artesian Basin illustrate an inescapable truth: What happens in or is decided in one state invariably affects other states.

 

 

Australia belongs to Australians. The Great Artesian Basin belongs to Australians – not to New South Welshmen alone, or Queenslanders alone, or South Australians or Northern Territorians alone – but to ALL Australians.

One passport. One currency. One Nationality.

With modern transport and digital communication technologies, there is no compelling reason for a population of around 25 million to support 7 State and Territory Governments. There are, however, many compelling reasons to abolish State Governments.

Our original Constitution was designed to guard State Rights. It was expected the Federal Government would not collect a great deal in taxes to fulfil its limited obligations: It was expected States would probably have to subsidise the Federal Government, not beg the Federal government for handouts.

So how did we come to have a system where The Federal Government pulls most of the purse strings, and where we not only have a Minister for Education, a Minister for Employment or a Minister for Health in each State and Territory, but we have an 8^th Minister for many portfolios at a Federal Level?

A simplistic answer is that during World War II States handed income tax collection powers to the Federal Government.*

This change, undreamt of by those who put the first Constitution together, has been an enormous disaster. The Federal Government, through Section 96, now has disproportionate control over how much States get and what the States might do with their share.

One passport. One currency. One Country.

8 Ministers for Education. 8 Ministers for Health. 8 Ministers for Employment.

8 Parliaments. 8 times a lot of expense is more than makes sense.

When something goes wrong in a State Health System, the State Minister and the Federal Minister can often be seen pointing a finger of blame at each other.

 

 

Same with Education.

8 Parliaments, 8 times the expense, no accountability.

Why Not:
1 Nationality, 1 Parliament, 1/8^th the expense, and ONE Minister with no other government to blame for mistakes?

We worry about who donates how much to different parties at election time, but it is the Federal Government itself that holds the biggest slush fund to buy votes. A Federal leader promises billions for a road – but if a different party wins a state election, the money stays in the federal slush fund.

OUR money.

 

 

 

The worst thing, though, is that not all Australians have a chance to act on things that will affect all Australians.

Mining offers a great example of how this mess makes fewer people accountable to the people.

The stuff people mine belongs to the state where it is mined. The state gets taxes in the form of Royalties.

The Environment belongs to all Australians. The Federal government recently gave the power to make some environmental decisions to the Queensland Government. If the indirect result of mining in Queensland is destruction of the Barrier Reef, who should we hold accountable? How? How long will it take? Do we have the power to prevent disaster, or can we only complain after it’s too late?

If someone in Victoria, or NSW or WA wants to protect the Barrier Reef, who will the Queensland Government listen to? If not their own good conscience, then only the people of Queensland.

Next to Antarctica, Australia is the driest continent on Earth. And somebody is planning – with a high prospect of success – to drill fracking holes deeper than our best water supply, and poison the Great Artesian Basin in Qld, NSW, the NT and SA.

Forget the fact that people surrender power reluctantly. We MUST join together and withdraw consent for the existence of State Governments. State Politicians might squeal a short while, but business people won’t care if it eliminates a whole layer of bureaucratic obstacles from their path.

With a saner, new Constitution that provides for

• direct election of a President,
• a solid system of checks and balances on power,
• the elimination of State Governments and
• an enhanced power for people to petition the President,

all Australians can have a truly meaningful say on things affecting all Australians.

And we’ll save a bucket-load of money in the process.

 

The draft begins with a preamble saying, amongst other things, we value the earth that sustains us. It abolishes states. At S83 it makes clear that Government are custodians of the environment, and requires public discussion before plans can be made that compromise our national heritage. You can read the text of the draft here or PM me through the facebook page and I will happily email you a more readable PDF. The draft DOES need everybody's input, it is just designed to start discussions. 

 

Please join the discussion if you agree Australia needs a new and more democratic constitution. If you don't want to use blogger, you can discuss the idea via facebook.

 

 

*Tax:

 

In 1942 the federal government introduced legislation that increased the federal government income tax rates to raise more revenue. The legislation provided for reimbursement grants to the states provided that they ceased to levy their own income taxes. Although a state could legally continue to impose its income tax, doing so would impose an increased burden on its residents and also disqualify that state from receiving federal government grants. In practice, this prevented the states from continuing to levy their own income taxes. The uniform taxation arrangements were initially only meant to apply for the duration of the Second World War and one year thereafter. At the end of the War, the states sought to regain their income taxing powers but were unsuccessful.

**For more about water: