He Doesn't Care

That's what Colin Barnett said to Paul Murray on 6PR on Wednesday 14th August.

To be fair, he said that in the context of the actual boundaries between local governments. He is firm, though, he said on reducing the number of metropolitan local governments by half.

What most of us see though, Mr Premier, is a government that truly doesn't care about the community; a government for which the ends justify the means - a phrase coined (in Italian) by Niccolo Machiavelli in The Prince and infamously co-opted as a political dictum by Joseph Stalin.

The end does not justify the means, Mr Premier, because the long-term outcome of ignoring principles in order to buy short-term results is a failure of your own goals. When you have a principle, like 'do not steal', it cannot be overridden because you have some end in mind that you think will benefit several other people who 'deserve it more'.

When you have a principle like democracy, Mr Premier, it cannot be overridden because you think the changes you want to happen will be better for those affected. 

The basic principle of democracy, Mr Premier, is that people have a right to a say in how government affects their lives. 

In March 2013, Mr Premier, people voted for your government with the clear assurance from you that there would be no forced amalgamations of local governments. 

That is not to say there should be no amalgamations, but there was a statutory process for investigating and determining such proposals, including the right of the people affected to reject them - with criteria (majority of those voting, subject to 50% poll turnout) that in practice are quite difficult to achieve unless people feel really strongly about the issue - typical local government election turnout, even with postal voting, is around 30%.

This process, Mr Premier, you have said you intend to subvert by removing the provision from the Local Government Act.

Are you really so unsure of yourself and your proposals, Mr Premier, that you don't think you can get the support of 30% of the people affected (for a high 60% turnout)?