Australian Dream?
May 21st 2003, 3:24 am
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Australian Dream?
Not my letter but an Australians his title too.
Dream nation
APPLAUD the letters of R. Pomfret, the Rev. P. Humphris and E. Burns (17/5). Oh for a government with such ideals. I share your dreams, but herein lies the problem.
Were it not for the political game of "power at all cost" we could probably afford the so-called needs of society - education, health and public safety. We are indeed a country which clings to a colonial government system, which is defended by society and politicians with the adage "if it is not broken, why fix it"?
Hubert French of the Ford Motor Company, while in Australia setting up dealerships in 1924, wrote: "Australia's disease is over-government. Thirteen houses of parliament, six governors and one governor-general, all appointed by Britain, speaks for itself, especially when borne in mind that no MP receives less than 500 pounds per annum." All this to legislate six million people.
As for child abuse, this is one disease which has festered for centuries in churches, families, schools and within all nationalities. Cultures and religions, with society, have chosen to ignore or suppress the fact.
Maybe, just maybe, with a properly funded Federal police force, all issues could be addressed and not just those which are influenced by budget or fear of the reprisals of a State government. The key word is Federal and being free of petty competition and bias. Federation came about in 1901 but we were still coming to grips with even a standard-gauge railway in the 1960s. A national drivers' licence and national road rules only recently came into being. The infrastructure of Australia has also suffered due to the mindset of the six State governments and their four-year planning strategies, which are always linked to re-election strategies.
And please, before the knockers kick into gear, take into account that there is or can be a great difference between change and progress.
I, too, dream of Australia becoming a true nation and acting and living as one - and maybe becoming the lucky country once again.
MICHAEL MACHIN, Joondalup.
Dream nation
APPLAUD the letters of R. Pomfret, the Rev. P. Humphris and E. Burns (17/5). Oh for a government with such ideals. I share your dreams, but herein lies the problem.
Were it not for the political game of "power at all cost" we could probably afford the so-called needs of society - education, health and public safety. We are indeed a country which clings to a colonial government system, which is defended by society and politicians with the adage "if it is not broken, why fix it"?
Hubert French of the Ford Motor Company, while in Australia setting up dealerships in 1924, wrote: "Australia's disease is over-government. Thirteen houses of parliament, six governors and one governor-general, all appointed by Britain, speaks for itself, especially when borne in mind that no MP receives less than 500 pounds per annum." All this to legislate six million people.
As for child abuse, this is one disease which has festered for centuries in churches, families, schools and within all nationalities. Cultures and religions, with society, have chosen to ignore or suppress the fact.
Maybe, just maybe, with a properly funded Federal police force, all issues could be addressed and not just those which are influenced by budget or fear of the reprisals of a State government. The key word is Federal and being free of petty competition and bias. Federation came about in 1901 but we were still coming to grips with even a standard-gauge railway in the 1960s. A national drivers' licence and national road rules only recently came into being. The infrastructure of Australia has also suffered due to the mindset of the six State governments and their four-year planning strategies, which are always linked to re-election strategies.
And please, before the knockers kick into gear, take into account that there is or can be a great difference between change and progress.
I, too, dream of Australia becoming a true nation and acting and living as one - and maybe becoming the lucky country once again.
MICHAEL MACHIN, Joondalup.
