THIS is the fourth in our four-part January series on how our politicians have not done a good job in adapting policy to changing circumstances or when policies do not work. This week we look at the related topics of infrastructure, population and environment, and briefly at defence. Continue reading “Australia marking time IV: population”
Month: January 2018
Australia marking time III: governance
WHAT is the difference between “governance” and “government”? Some say nothing and that “governance” is just affectation, but political scientists usually make the distinction. Governance, they say is the overarching architecture of government – the constitution, broad electoral rules, rules on disclosure, and the institutional set-up. Government, on the other hand is the nitty gritty of everyday revenue-raising and spending and the myriad pieces of legislation and regulation dealing with everyday matters.
WHAT is the difference between “governance” and “government”? Some say nothing and that “governance” is just affectation, but political scientists usually make the distinction. Governance, they say is the overarching architecture of government – the constitution, broad electoral rules, rules on disclosure, and the institutional set-up. Government, on the other hand is the nitty gritty of everyday revenue-raising and spending and the myriad pieces of legislation and regulation dealing with everyday matters.
Continue reading “Australia marking time III: governance”
Australia marking time II. Education and health
THIS is the second in a four-part January series on how our politicians have not done a good job in adapting policy to changing circumstances or when policies do not work. This week it is education and health policies, both of which suffer from flaws which had their genesis in the Howard years and which successive governments have not fixed
THIS is the second in a four-part January series on how our politicians have not done a good job in adapting policy to changing circumstances or when policies do not work. This week it is education and health policies, both of which suffer from flaws which had their genesis in the Howard years and which successive governments have not fixed. Continue reading “Australia marking time II. Education and health”
Australia marking time Part I: tax
ONE of the aims of good government is to change law and policy as circumstances change and even to make sensible predictions about how they may change in the future and prepare for those changes. Australia appears to have marked time recently. January is a good time to reflect and look forward. In the next few weeks I will look at some major policy areas and suggest how circumstances have changed and what is needed for us to deal with those changes. Continue reading “Australia marking time Part I: tax”