02-20-2023, 11:03 AM
This is exactly what to expect when the arms of government are hived off to monopoly government sponsored corporations or statutory bodies.
In other words the fundamental principle of responsible government has been disregarded. Ministers should be in charge of regular Departments in the proven Westminster model giving the voting public the most direct say and the motivation to governments to drive public acceptability.
In so many similar instances at these Estimates hearings the MP Committee members seem astonished at the lack of preparedness and knowledge of the bureaucrats. What they don’t appreciate is that the poor performance is actually the fault of Parliament for allowing, and continuing to allow without question, a system that breeds contempt for Members of Parliament.
The frustrations and exasperation of the various MPs must be seen in light of their continued support of the much vaunted but illogical concept of the ‘independent’ regulator. Our system of government in this respect is naive at best and chaotic at worst. I don’t see one politician who is articulating a principled resolution to the obvious problem.
In other words the fundamental principle of responsible government has been disregarded. Ministers should be in charge of regular Departments in the proven Westminster model giving the voting public the most direct say and the motivation to governments to drive public acceptability.
In so many similar instances at these Estimates hearings the MP Committee members seem astonished at the lack of preparedness and knowledge of the bureaucrats. What they don’t appreciate is that the poor performance is actually the fault of Parliament for allowing, and continuing to allow without question, a system that breeds contempt for Members of Parliament.
The frustrations and exasperation of the various MPs must be seen in light of their continued support of the much vaunted but illogical concept of the ‘independent’ regulator. Our system of government in this respect is naive at best and chaotic at worst. I don’t see one politician who is articulating a principled resolution to the obvious problem.