HOW TO SAVE DEMOCRACY.

The article by ABC's Patricia Karvelas, as above, in this week's "The Saturday Paper' is interesting but challengeable. Democracy , as a word, is the most basterdised word in any language. The concept of democracy is utilised by probably every Nation, but in fact, it is rarely true. Politicians in most nations, invariably claim membership in an association or more simply, a party, except dictators. As a result, they acquiese or embrace policies that in fact they may disagree with, but are obliged to follow. Thereby, they never concede to what in many cases, may be in the interests of their nation. Unfortunately, those decisions are frequently to the benefit of their financial backers and to their vested interests.

Simply put, political parties are the enemy of democracy. Australia is, in fact, an UNdemocratic/ democracy. We should or could be a true democracy. We embrace what is probably, the best Electoral system in the World and have instituted compulsory voting, which is rare anywhere else in the world. That we embrace compulsory voting is a wonderful, if surprising feature, instituted by our political parties in 1924. These two features are the main reason we can aspire to TRUE democracy. To really achieve that aim, however, is to get rid of the party political system. With a parliament constituting independent members nominated and elected by their individual electorates, we will convert our parliament into a debating chamber, rather than an adversarial platform, for the politicians of warring parties. One has only to watch or listen to question time to recognise this fact. Additionally, parliamentary productivity is currently, a huge waste of time and costly as well. Independent members would no longer be known as <politicians, but as "parliamentarians". The cost of running parliament would be substantially reduced, as well as the cost of running Government. Savings to Treasury would amount to $billions of dollars annually. The efficiency of Government would become an example to the rest of the world. USA , please take note.

For Australia to achieve true democracy, voters could or should become members of the MBG (Movement for Better Government)

www.movementforbettergovernment.com.au.