Some short comments. The "Cammo diet". Bob Carr is facing corruption charges. A direct democracy follow-on of ICAC. The failure of the states. Increasing the churn rate through the constitution kicking out incumbents - the constitution should say; out on your arse Mr Carr, out on your arse Mr Howard and out on your arse Mr Careerist-Legislator. Fixed period elections and Fixed terms for all politicians.

Shorts

• Self-checkout etiquette rule number one : Don't start putting your things on the belt until the person before you has bagged all theirs and removed them. Since the self-checkout lines are new, assholes are using it to create new social norms that are based on selfishness. I try to reinforce positive behaviour by thanking those that wait for me. Those that don't get a, "hang on, let me get my stuff out of the way".
• Vegemite Toast for tea this evening : For the Americans not aware of Vegemite's recuperative qualities, eat the stuff after drinking too much, not only does it put hair on your chest but is better than eating a 7/11 meat pie, a doner kebab or chile hot dog. (World Market stocks it in the US)
• Yoga : I am becoming a convert. Rather than my body feeling beaten and sweaty after a run or workout, after yoga it just feels limber; but no less challenged. My muscles afterwards feel like they have been worked out without the pounding. Rather than having my body down to where it can take no more, it is relaxed and more open (if that is a suitable description).

The Cammo diet

For getting rid of the pouchy tummy and love handles that plague us folks in their thirties;

• Swim for twenty minutes four times a week.
• Mix in additional twenty minutes exercise such as weights, running, walking, yoga, roller blading or exercise bike at least twice a week.
• Eat sliced canteloupe, honeydew, pineapple or watermelon instead of biscuits/cookies/chocolate. The local supermarket here sells containers of sliced fruit for $1.30 USD. Very convenient. The sliced fruit is also refreshing when eaten.
• Eat Ramen, or rice cakes with cheese for lunch. Finish rice cakes with a banana.
• Skip breakfast.
• Eat a normal balanced dinner, grilled steak, lamb, pork, chicken, pizza whatever.
• Lay off the grog during the week.
• Drink de-caffeinated tea instead of coffee.
• Drink water or powerade instead of fizzy-drink/soda/pop.
• ???
• Profit.

This worked for me.

Carr Being Caught in a Web of Deceit and Lies

Another politician that has over-stayed his welcome is Bob Carr, the Premier of New South Wales. Like Nick Greiner before him, he is falling prey to corruption charges and now it looks like contempt . Greiner in a pique of idealism set up ICAC, the Independent Commission Against Corruption . It ended up being an ICAC inquiry that brought Greiner down with corruption charges . It looks like Carr is going to have to face ICAC as well . From the article;

Mr Carr's blunder comes amid increasing pressure over his role in the decision not to rezone the Orange Grove factory outlet, which means it must close next Wednesday. He has been forced to admit his office did discuss the matter with the property giant Westfield and had passed on advice to the assistant Planning Minister, Diane Beamer. It has also raised serious concerns about corruption within the ALP.

ICAC is probably one of the best institutions at state level, the federal government should have a similar independent corruption watchdog as well. A good permutation of ICAC would be legislation that allows spontaneous groups of citizen auditors to search for corruption in the public sector as well. Not only would there be ICAC, a commission headed and run by legal specialists, but also interested citizens routing out corruption that they could then send on to ICAC.

The Failure of the Australian States

It has been my contention for a while now that the sad state of affairs in Australian Federalism is due to the lack of innovation in state politics. The failure of Federation was the failure of Sydney and Melbourne to create an innovative form of government when they became self-governing colonies in the 1850's.

Back then NSW and Victoria had the British, US and Swiss systems to cherry pick from and create an innovative form of government. Instead the republicans in NSW spent all their time fighting Wentworth's bill to create an aristocracy in NSW that would populate the Legislative Council. An appointed council was a compromise and it was not until the 1970's that NSW got a popularly elected Legislative Council.

The US Republic of 1787 was a triumph of the politics, thinking and activism that was going on in the hotbeds of Boston, Charlottesville and Richmond for 20 years before the American Revolution. Australia had no such hotbed of thinking, it had the "lie back and think of the king" idioticy that led to a retrograde constitution in 1901 when Australia had the opportunity to give its own gift to liberty - A gift that could resonate as far into the future as the Magna Carta or Bill of Rights have. An opportunity was lost. When Australia becomes a Republic there will be another chance for political innovation, it is important not to waste that chance again as the "Bearded Men" did in the 1890's.

Increasing the Churn Rate

The problems that John Howard and Bob Carr are finding themselves in due to structural problems in Australian government. Other than the Governor-General, which is ironically the weakest political position in government, there are no term limits. Consequently politicians continue until they are tired out or caught in the deceit of trying to remain in power. Politicians are not indispensable, and politics would be better served by increasing the churn rate for all politicians.

Incumbents in Australia have a disproportionate advantage. They get to pick the time of the election and can use the public purse to buy electorates, either through legislation, handouts or even simply advertising with taxpayer money. One of the simplest means to reduce the incumbent advantage is to make elections on a fixed date and for governments to have fixed terms. Three years is more than sufficient for a government to make changes. One thousand and sixty eight days should be the number of days in-between elections.

Opponents will cry that this reduces the flexibility for governments to dissolve early and call elections on a single issue. This has happened rarely, and under a fixed term election cycle, the government can appeal to the Senate, Governor General and maybe even get a majority of the State Legislatures to agree to an early election then it could be allowed.

The second initiative which needs to be enforced is term limits. A legislator, whether in the Senate or House of Representatives at the federal level, or at the state level; the Legislative Council or Legislative Assembly, should have be fixed to a term limit of twenty five years. This is a generations worth of public service. More than sufficient time to become specialized, but short enough that they aren't representing entrenched interests.

For the Executive branch in Australian government, ie the Prime Minister, the Governor-General, the Premiers and the Governors, the term limit should be one thousand and sixty eight days. That is two terms. Currently the Governor-General is limited to six years. The Prime Minister and Premiers should be subject to the same term limits.

This will stop Prime Ministers wearing out their welcome, running on their belief that they are the person for the job and it ending in drovers dog elections. It will also stop the slow changes in power that the Australian system has become known for. The next government that gets in, will think it is entitled to three terms, that is the average since World War II. The changes in government were faster in the Soviet Union back in the day of communism.

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