You speak a lot of sense, Chuck. There are some points I would differ in my opinion on, but hey, it'd be boring otherwise. I especially like your water ideas. A grand scheme of the scope you talk about- bringing water from north to south- would, indeed, be a sensible, popular and stimulating endeavor.
I take issue with your ideas about Workchoices, and a worker's 'rights'. IMHO, workers do have rights. Rights that were fought for and gained over many years becoming enshrined in conditions (such as penalty rates) enforced on employers via 'awards' etc. That they needed enforcement reflected the power-relationship between an employer and employee. It is an unequal relationship. To have those conditions, built up/refined/diluted over many years, swept away in 1 piece of legislation shifted the power most unequally. I had the opportunity to be both an employer and an employee during Workchoices. My time as an employer demonstrated the flexibility that was available to me - and the opportunity for the unscrupulous. Heaven- from an employers p.o.v. My time as an employee demonstrated that there were any number of employers willing to use Workchoices in an extremely negative way. Not a happy time. I just don't have any faith in human nature to allow people the opportunity to 'do the right thing'- or not! It may be ok for highly skilled and sought after workers to negotiate on an individual basis with their employer (and they always will anyway), but not across the spectrum.
As far as dismantling the Howard health scheme- go for it. I cannot, for the life of me, understand anyone wanting to move closer to the US health system. The oz system (medicare) may not be perfect (and I have plenty of simple ideas how it could be improved), but it is a quantum leap better than the yank's. Some things just need to be socialized. Getting the balance right is the trick. And is usually where the 'pendulum swings' occur.