Perhaps Australia, one of the most over-governed societies in the world, burdened with three layers of government for its tiny population -- and an expectation there is no problem, personal, economic or social that cannot be solved by politicians appearing to do something -- might reflect on the failure of the sky to fall in due to the hung parliament. We might consider whether there aren't many occasions when less government, rather than more, might be in the public interest.
Crikey
I favor the policy of economy, not because I wish to save money, but because I wish to save people. The men and women of this country who toil are the ones who bear the cost of the Government. Every dollar that we carelessly waste means that their life will be so much the more meager. Every dollar that we prudently save means that their life will be so much the more abundant. Economy is idealism in its most practical form.
Calvin Coolidge
Politicians prefer populism to sound public policy. Political leaders think opinion polls rather then ideas and ideals are what give them legitimacy. Political debates have become puerile slanging matches and grudge competitions. All this when the times require, as never before, inspired and inspiring leadership.
Allan Patience
The core job is to develop decent public policy, create a narrative to explain the national benefits in the broadest context, implement the policy without fear and with competence, disregard the media cycle and take no care of the hundreds of polls that will confront you during your stewardship.
Alister Drysdale
In these important public policy debates, we should remind our elected representatives of the job we are paying them to do: to make reasoned and principled decisions on our behalf, in the best interests of the nation. We should require them to focus on this serious undertaking and to exercise their own best judgment and conscience, without fear or favour, rather than second guess our wishes.
Scott MacInnes
Psychologists call it the self-justification bias. We make decisions - or arrive at certain beliefs - for emotional reasons. We then go to work cherry-picking data that supports our view while systematically ignoring or filtering out contradictory evidence.
Alex Green
People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being, and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past, and getting on with their lives.
JM Straczynski
Crikey
I favor the policy of economy, not because I wish to save money, but because I wish to save people. The men and women of this country who toil are the ones who bear the cost of the Government. Every dollar that we carelessly waste means that their life will be so much the more meager. Every dollar that we prudently save means that their life will be so much the more abundant. Economy is idealism in its most practical form.
Calvin Coolidge
Politicians prefer populism to sound public policy. Political leaders think opinion polls rather then ideas and ideals are what give them legitimacy. Political debates have become puerile slanging matches and grudge competitions. All this when the times require, as never before, inspired and inspiring leadership.
Allan Patience
The core job is to develop decent public policy, create a narrative to explain the national benefits in the broadest context, implement the policy without fear and with competence, disregard the media cycle and take no care of the hundreds of polls that will confront you during your stewardship.
Alister Drysdale
In these important public policy debates, we should remind our elected representatives of the job we are paying them to do: to make reasoned and principled decisions on our behalf, in the best interests of the nation. We should require them to focus on this serious undertaking and to exercise their own best judgment and conscience, without fear or favour, rather than second guess our wishes.
Scott MacInnes
Psychologists call it the self-justification bias. We make decisions - or arrive at certain beliefs - for emotional reasons. We then go to work cherry-picking data that supports our view while systematically ignoring or filtering out contradictory evidence.
Alex Green
People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being, and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past, and getting on with their lives.
JM Straczynski
