Target $18.72, page-8259

Dead right, @lilac -- very well put.

This bloating has infected all jurisdictions, including the Commonwealth, but is particularly extreme in States such as Victoria and Queensland. Putting aside the political motivations, a significant part of the problem is the proliferation of 'programs' put in place to meet government commitments of one kind or another. However well-intentioned in their original conception, far too many of these programs are poorly designed, poorly administered, poorly connected with other, similar programs, and ultimately ineffective and wasteful. Rigorous evaluation is rare to the point of non-existent, and of course, each program needs to have its own 'management team'.

The Indigenous domain is a prime example of these failings, with literally hundreds of separate funding programs piled on top of one another (no program is ever axed, for fear of offending the 'clients'). Many of these programs were introduced when governments felt under pressure to 'do something' to help; instead, millions are wasted on ineffective programs, and all to very little avail. A similar pattern, if somewhat less extreme, can be seen in many other policy areas. I know this scene well, and have witnessed the waste at first hand.