From: "Andrew McGlashan" <andrew.mcglashan@affinityvision.com.au> Sent: Tuesday, 5 March, 2013 11:42:07 AM
The blame game is a serious issue too, but when there are strongly opposing views state against federal, it's almost impossible to fix when responsibility for governance is used as a political tool and not for the greater good.
Besides of it "shared responsibility" makes it harder for the voter. E.g. If we want all schools having free tablets. Imagine the majority of the voters in Victoria want it. Voting for the party X in the state election? Okay, but then comes a Federal government and tells the elected government to run the school system as the Federal government wants. Voting for the party X in federal elections? But than you may have party Y in Victoria blocking all attempts from Canberra - no luck either. Voting for party X in both elections? Well, party X has to look after a marginal seat in a mining town. The miners want the kids to work with shovels not with computers. So you vote for X in Federal and state elections and still your kid does not have an education with a tablet. If education is a matter of a state - you vote for X in the state and may have it done. Regards Peter