A lack of trust in our politicians is stifling economic reform.Credit:
But though we’re discovering the miracle election-winner’s various shortcomings,it’s a mistake to think one man is the cause of our reform problem. It’s possible to argue things have got steadily worse in the revolving-door period since the departure of John Howard,but the greater truth is that the problem’s systemic.
It’s hard to think of any major improvements made by five prime ministers over the past 12 years,with the possible exception of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (which we’re still busy stuffing up).
The carbon taxwas a significant reform before Tony Abbott abolished it,but Labor had sabotaged its mining tax long before Abbott got to it. Malcolm Turnbull took one look at the great goal of increasing the goods and services tax and realised it was politically impossible without full compensation of low to middle income-earners,but net of compensation it would have raised peanuts.
There’s little doubt that the life of ministers has become pretty much all day-to-day tactics and no long-term strategy.
All this is just the Australian version of similar stories that could be told in most of the other rich democracies. But,sticking with our story,why has it become next to impossible for our governments to make controversial policy changes?
The pollies would tell you it’s because of the 24-hour news cycle – the media are constantly demanding to be fed,and will turn to your opponents if you don’t oblige – and the power of social media to set hares running that have to be chased. This now gets so much attention from ministers and their staff they have little time left to get on with policy development.
Maybe. A less convenient explanation is the way politics has turned into a lifelong career – from staffer to minister to a late-career job advising big business – leading pollies to worry more about their careers and less about the ideals they espoused in their first speech on entering Parliament.