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The Politics of Deception (email sent 25/2/10)
Hon. Tony
Fitzgerald AC, QC
Re: Koch T.,
'Corruption-buster slams the politics of deception',
The Australian, 25/2/10
There is no doubt, as the above article
quotes you as arguing, that Australia's political system is not working well.
However there are 'bigger picture' issues that need to be considered (eg
greater complexity that now defeats policy debate, and a lack of adequate
institutional support) which explains why our political system is failing.
My
interpretation of the above article in which you were quoted:
Former Queensland anti-corruption commissioner, Tony Fitzgerald has
criticised amoral political culture of Australia's governing class
preoccupied with amassing power for itself. Young people feel excluded
from decision making. In a coming publication, The Fitzgerald Legacy,
he argues that small groups control the Labor and Liberal parties, and
thus Australia's destiny. Dynasties are emerging. Political debate is
often spiteful / juvenile - which denies the electorate comprehensive,
accurate information that is essential to effective democracy. Access and
influence can be bought, and patronage is used to silence critics. The
'political class' now seeks power - not democracy. Mature democracies
restrain self-serving activities by dividing power and imposing
constraints. Our system allows the party in government to indulge its
adherents, supporters and ideology. Special interests gain access and
influence. Opposition criticism is muted, as all parties grasp
opportunities when in power. The public is becoming cynical, apathetic and
disengaged.
There is no doubt about the reality of the
symptoms of political dysfunction in Australia's governments that you have
reportedly criticised. Another appropriate way of describing the 'politics of
deception' is 'populism' (ie gaining electoral support by presenting trendy
sounding policy options, that may well not be effective in practice). Populism
has become a major feature of Australia's political system (see
On Populism,
2007).
However this isn't a problem that can be resolved
simply by changes within Australia's political system. Arguably a major source
of the problem (and the reason that political debate often degenerates into
spin and juvenile name-calling) is that the complexity of public policy issues
has increased dramatically (because issues are now far more interconnected
than they used to be) and this complexity makes it impossible for political
leaders to either: (a) comprehend the issues fully or (b) present the issues
in simple terms to the public (see
Complexity in Australia's Governance
Crisis, 2003).
Other major factors in the degeneration of the
political process seem to be:
-
the relative weakness of civil institutions (eg
universities, associations, institutes) in presenting the public with
up-to-date and practical understanding of the nature and functions of
government, and the requirements for changes in those functions. This
weakness is arguably a product of: Australia's colonial history and
dependence on protector nations, and of the
'curse' that societies with abundant
natural wealth usually suffer in terms of encouraging the emergence of
political and business elites that seek to profit from that wealth, but
provide poor community leadership. Weak civil institutions are undoubtedly a
major feature in the dysfunctions that Queensland's political system in
particular has suffered - because there is thus little raw material for
Oppositions to use in (for example) making the Parliament more effective in
constraining executive power (see
More Competent External Support to Parliament);
and
-
the politicisation of public services that has
seriously reduced internal constraints on the abuse of political power (see
Weakening Administrative Support in
Australia's Governance Crisis). [Note added
later: In this regard, Queensland's Goss Government might have won the
'politics of deception' championship given: (a) its pre-1989 election policy
entitled 'Return to Westminster' (ie to the tradition of a professional
independent public service); and (b) its subsequent enactment of legislation
that (in the opinion of
the Ombudsman's office) made it unnecessary to seriously consider
merit in making 'senior' public service appointments]
Some suggestions about how these difficulties
might be remedied (eg by simplification of the issues the political system is
expected to deal with, and strengthening institutional support) are
outlined in
Challenges to Australia's Democratic Institutions in Australia's
Governance Crisis.
I would be interested in your response to
the above speculations.
John Craig
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