F3 scandal highlights Westminster failings

Should the Transport Minister be responsible for the RTA failure resulting in the scandalous traffic delays on the F3 last week?

Of course not.

However, according to Westminster practice, he should.

But this practice is almost never followed in Australia and for very good practical reasons.

It rarely makes sense.

There are other features with the Westminster system that Australia could happily throw out the window.

First of all, ministers have to be "in and of the Parliament", meaning elected.

Result: Ministers are functional amateurs because they have to be selected from a very small group of elected politicians instead of from the entire society.

That is the way other, non-Westminster systems are organised, in fact, the overwhelming majority.

In Tasmania, they hardly have enough politicians to fill the Ministerial positions!

Secondly, the fusion is between the political executive and the legislature.

This is an undesirable feature as it is detrimental to both.

The almost total domination of both the Government and the Opposition front bench over the legislature can be witnessed daily on TV.

Governance reform is long overdue.

Don't expect it from the major parties though.

Email, 17 Apr 2010 Klaas Woldring, Pearl Beach