Originally Posted by
finestkind
What a truthful but laughable post. Having made a career out of following orders. Find me someone anyone in Government that has not had a career out of following orders, see "toe the party line". God forbid that you actually want people appointed to a portfolio with experience in that area. Imagine a Doctor as the minister of the Health Portfolio or a Teacher as the minister of the Education Portfolio or a Farmer, well you get the gist. But we cannot have that because unless you have spent your career following orders, sorry following the party line you will not be a politician in a position to be “portfolioed”. At least in general these people, not saying they have enough sense but have that survival instinct in trying not to make to bigger of a fool of themselves, have these experienced people on staff to advice.
“sense to re-think this fetish for appointing ex military people to manage things” Really ? So you have a person who has worked their way into a senior position by learning, having experience , in "managing" not only large groups of people but if not actually doing so being trained to handle significant situations but you would rather what? Have Betty the scone maker appointed as GG. Most civilian high achievers would not even consider this as it would be a step down, in their eyes, from their already gained financially high secure position. I guess you must be suggesting that a “Govemnit” person be appointed GG.
Not at any point did I indicate a 'government' person be appointed GG - how about a bloody constitutional scholar or someone with experience in the law since the principal reason for the position is signing Acts of Parliament into law - goodness forbid we actually have someone who can sit on the Federal Executive Council and provide advice to Ministers and the PM on the constitutionality of the laws they are passing - maybe so many of them wouldn't end up being struck down as un-constitutional.
I DO NOT have an objection to 'a' ex military person being appointed to the GG position, just that this government everytime it has a vacancy for just about anything it appoints someone ex military - GG, commissions, special project groups, etc. They can NOT look beyond the military. We've had some excellent GGs in the past and not many of them were ex military, that alone suggests the ADF shouldn't be the only source for these vacancies.
As for the appointment of ministers, I don't disagree - the Westminster system (although ours is a 'Washminster' system) has as one of its features almost a guarantee of incompetent government because the people appointed to portfolios are the most 'loyal' members of the party, NOT the most capable (incidentally, I think you meant 'tow' the line, unless you were making some oblique reference to toe-cutters - or 'tow' cutters). The current Defence Minister is a good example. Just weeks before he was appointed to that ridiculous 'Home Affairs' portfolio, his previous department was found by an inquiry to be the most mismanaged of all the Federal departments and he's gone on to bigger and more consequential jobs yet appears to have proven himself incapable of managing a tart shop.
While I wouldn't want the US system in total, their cabinet being outside the legislature and responsible to the President at least provides for the appointment of a Doctor as Surgeon-General, an experienced lawyer or prosecutor to Attorney-General or an expert in their field appointed as Cabinet Secretary of whatever department handles what they are expert in.
I also never at any point suggested the 'scone maker' be appointed to a position, that's ridiculous. However, like I said, as in any organization, some people will (usually by accident) arise to the top and be worth something but it's more often than not certainly not the case - the military has a particular reputation in this area, in an organization where people are conditioned throughout their entire career to follow orders without question, those who never question their orders tend to make up a proportion of those who get to the 'top'.