sea change, page-25

Well selby to a certain and reasonable extent it is, or should be, the duty of governments to keep their people happy.
In a democracy that is probably essential if you want to be re-elected.
The alternative is that governments should keep their people unhappy which I doubt you would agree with.

Personally I don't see many people expressing happiness about any of our governments and so just tend to vote for the one they are least unhappy with.

At the moment most people appear to be very unhappy with the Howard government for many reasons but principaly our continuing involvement in the lost cause of Iraq, the lack of a trial for Hicks, some of the industrial reforms, and high rates of immigration leading to water shortages and other enviromental degradation.
They are unhappy with both the federal and state governments over poor public hospitals, lack of public dentists, rising costs of a decent education with massive HECS debts etc.etc. etc.

Dave R.