that's not really possible if one is going to use elected...

that's not really possible if one is going to use elected officials as ministers

also, if you think about it -- a lof of politicians are not right in the upstairs department -

they are in fact in politics because they have delusions and similar.


take defence - if you went for experience in a minister in defence - you'd be picking which war criminal you would have as minister

not a particularly great field of choice going on there. Also, someone who has been a soldier or sailor ------------ well, so what?

99.99% of them would have no suitable experience to think about defence at a national level -

indeed - what Oz lacks far more than an 'experienced' minister in defence matters - Oz lacks a Ministry of Security

because what a nation needs is actually security -- which is a far broader set of issues than defence

if you need to use your 'defence' forces ---------- you already have a massive fail on your hands

and, for a nation like Oz - if you have to use your defence forces to actually defend - you are probably buggered.

Oz hasn't recognised this very simple and obvious fact yet,