Democratic Governance should be about seeking policy balance that benefits the whole community. It is where loyalty to all citizens overrides loyalty to factional interests.Martin Wolf, Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times, has published a new book, “The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism”. I recommend that any citizen interested in reversing the decline of our liberal democracies and creating a better society read this book.   All citizens should better engage with our country's governance and, along with our journalists and commentators, demand that our politicians support individual policies with clear evidence of wide community dialogue and majority support.

The Robodebt Royal Commission has given some interesting examples of how government ministers and senior public servants can sidestep scrutiny of their actions and how to fix the situation.The well-known journalist, and professor of politics and public policy, Peter Van Onselen, has called for a Royal Commission into how the Covid challenge was handled. During the pandemic, there were many questionable decisions made by our political leaders, especially over the curtailing of personal liberty and the doubtful benefit of a large amount of accumulated debt.   Our liberal democracy is not working well. A Royal Commission could help fix it.

Independent MP Allegra Spender is sponsoring efforts to break the “Gordian Knot” holding our country back from resolving the housing crisis.   As I have often pointed out, our major political parties are too focused on winning political power than resolving complex issues. We are seeing, yet again, initiatives to improve the situation held up by political point-scoring.   In an article in the SMH on 10/6/23 Peter Hartcher reviews the latest in “political intransigence” that is placing a “brick wall” in front of progress.   The call for a “Citizen’s Jury” should be heeded!https://www.smh.com.au/national/if-politicians-can-t-fix-the-housing-crisis-can-the-peopl

Robert (Bob) Rae Dalziel AM Family patriarch, a good friend, a community and business leader and a serial entrepreneur - who started many ripples throughout his life.Bob:* brought any gathering to life with his positive energy and humour.* was a great and loyal friend to many* was generous and selfless* was humble and many will never know he was their benefactor.His family, friends, business & social enterprise colleagues and the Rugby Union community will all miss Bob."Make time the gift it is, by giving it to what really matters to you."https://melbournerebels.rugby/news/vale-bob-dalziel-am-a-victorian-rugby-stalwart-2023530

It is encouraging that the Albanese government has opened a conversation over how we fund the ballooning care costs and support for vulnerable citizens.   It is concerning that the initiative is via a discussion paper and, no doubt, a plan to control the discussion and guide it to an outcome that fits the Labor agenda.   It’s time that all politicians realised they do not have sufficient trust to force their biased agendas upon the public after a sham consultation lacking detail, facts and analysis.   It is time that Citizens' Juries were used to resolve such complex and important matters!

Indexing tax scales is the morally correct thing for our government to do. It is unconscionable conduct not to do so.   If a company used such a stealth-like mechanism as tax “bracket creep” to increase prices, there would be public outrage and a call for action by the government.   A report in Today’s Australian by Patrick Commins that: “Australians are paying an average 30 per cent more income tax per person than a decade ago, even after accounting for inflation” exemplifies the pernicious impact of tax bracket creep.   Personal tax scales must be inflation indexed!