Tribal beliefs that mark membership of political parties and factions have also become major obstacles to sensible reform, particularly in tax, superannuation, and energy policy.
While powerful vested interests blocked some reforms, they had much less influence when countered by the published reports of high-quality inquiries.
Unpopularity, tribal beliefs, and vested interests stand in the way of the public interest because of less effective media, a weakened public service, the power of ministerial advisers, a growing professional political class, and increasing political patronage.
Australia could break the gridlock in policy reform by increasing the expertise and independence of the public service, reducing the number of ministerial advisers closely tied to political parties and making them more accountable, tightening controls over political donations, campaign finance, lobbying, and post-politics careers, and setting up a federal anti-corruption commission with teeth to ensure that the rules of the system are followed.
https://grattan.edu.au/report/gridlock/
I put up this thread a week ago but it didn't attach much interest.
Daley clearly points to the the increasing reliance on Party ideology as the go-to guide for policy development. While Party ideologies were current they were less well0defined or held up as the goal to arrive at rather than the National Interest.
During the 80's Hawke sought to unite labour and employer to find ways to achieve the national interest and succeeded admirably. Keating followed and used expert opinion very well, including economic management.
When Howard won the election he also listened to expert opinion, but was more inclined to follow his own advices and gradually forgot that he wasn't an expert in all things. The ideology of self-belief, the importance of individual responsibility and freedoms and, finally, the economics of conservative beliefs. Yes he paid down debt, largely driven by increasing tax receipts, but he began a war on the unemployed and on unions. Thus he broke down all the good work done before him.
The Right moved further to the right and the left followed to occupy the empty spaces making the Left more centrist. Thus Rudd came to the fore to unseat the incumbent. And this is where Daley takes up his analysis.
The Right, today, are so full of their own wisdom that they don't believe they need advice.
