Borrowing from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there is something rotten in State of Denmark (read Tasmania). The unacknowledged reality is that the political chaos and economic malaise, in Tasmania is the result of a long stale Government, riven with internal intrigues, and the whiff of corruption!

The infrastructure debacle with the Spirit of Tasmania ferries, the collapse of the State’s finances with debt ballooning, the fixation on a grandiose football stadium in Hobart, are symptomatic of a Government long past its “best by date”.

The hysteria that both major parties associate with minority Governments hark to a past when Liberals and Labor operated like a veritable ‘tag team’, taking it in turn to hold the reins of power- the ‘Laborials’ so to speak! It is the absence of a new political vision in the current election that is almost certain to see ongoing Parliamentary disruption with those who feel “born to rule” finding it galling to accommodate the diversity of an ever increasing crossbench.

Those who say a a majority Government or nothing reveal their contempt for the electorate and their personal hubris.

The lack of political renewal over generations, coupled with a penchant for political dynasties has created a culture ripe for corruption, nepotism and sycophancy.

The so-called independent oversight bodies are clearly under-resourced and designed by legislation to be ineffectual. We need look no further than the long-stalled investigations by the Integrity Commission into a number of ‘unnamed’ sitting MPs.

Key Takeaways

1. The political chaos in Tasmania is symptomatic of a pathocracy – a system of government where a small, pathological minority controls a society of normal people!
2. Political diversity with a large crossbench including independents and minor parties is the antidote to a pathocracy.
3. Positive change is predicated on a complete overhaul of our regulatory apparatus – most importantly the Integrity Commission.
4. Given the number of serious allegations of police misconduct and incompetence levelled by CSA victims and their allies it is vital that the next Parliament establishes a Commission of Inquiry into Tasmania Police!