“Legislation should set out the
criteria and process by which grant money will be allocated. It should also
provide for greater transparency over grant processes by mandating regular
reporting to parliament. Ministers should also tell parliament when they approve
a grant that has been found to be ineligible or unworthy of funding.
The rules must also come with penalties that make pork-barrelling illegal. A
minister who allocates public money by prioritising their personal interests
over those of the community should commit an offence. Together, these changes
would bring about a seismic shift in how ministers allocate grant funding. “
New company directors from Monday will
have 28 days to sign up for a new lifelong identification number or face
penalties under a regulatory overhaul aimed at preventing unlawful practices
such as phoenixing.
Existing company directors will have until November next year to comply or face
fines or even criminal penalties. From April next year, any new appointee to a
board made under the Corporations Act will need to get their unique 15- digit
number before they start their roles, under new rules that form part of the
Commonwealth’s Modernising Business Registers (MBR) program.
The Australian 1/11/21
Most politicians are good people who intend to serve the
community’s best interest. Unfortunately, a combination of internal party
politics, funding requirements and a desire to gain and hold power often stymie
the intent.
Good intent and perverting pressures exist in most areas of
human endeavour. Training, laws & regulations, and various oversight bodies
exist to minimise unacceptable practices in business and the professions. If
these fail a Royal Commission is established.
We need an effective code of practice, integrity oversight
and transparency of potential conflicts of interest for our politicians. We
need a Royal Commission into how politics operates!
Federal Government debt is currently
$630bn and is expected to climb to $1trn by 2026, creating budget problems and a
debt that future generations will need to pay.
Recent history predicts that no
political party will have the ability to initiate the structural tax changes
needed for post-COVID budget repair due to fear of voter anger.
It is in our best interest as a
community to contribute ideas on what should be done to raise more revenue, reduce
costs and produce common interest solutions. Let's put together some ideas to help
our governments make the hard decisions.Your ideas?
“At some point in the next term of government,
sooner rather than later, the treasurer of the day will have to lay out a
comprehensive program of budget repair, not simply a cursory exercise in good
housekeeping.” “It demands a set of hard rules and reforms that
will enable us to live within our means.”
(Tom Dusevic, The Australian)
Politicians have been unwilling to 'bite the bullet' due to fear of voter anger. This is a classical case for a Citizens Jury to
review all the facts and recommend a new revenue-raising structure that works
for the common good.
