Ideas@TheCentre
Freedom and smaller government
The size and role of government is at the heart of many problems that society is facing. From attacks on free speech to illegal immigration, from overzealous environmentalism to uncompetitive project and labour costs – all of these issues arise because government has moved away from its core roles.
Government’s primary responsibilities include things like defending our country, providing sufficient levels of public infrastructure and looking after those who cannot look after themselves.
Instead the government now provides us with electricity and internet services (filtered if that is your speed), fact checks politicians (allegedly impartially), and tells us when we can water our plants. Government funds inflatable rubber breasts to celebrate Canberra.
Was that what they had in mind at Federation? Government as a massive 10 breasted rubber whale balloon draped across everything?
The UK’s Institute of Economic Affairs looked at the impact of big government on economic growth and estimated that Australia’s GDP would be more than 120% higher than it is today but for the increases in the size of government since 1960.
In current terms that is more than $1.6 trillion dollars lost, not even spent and wasted, but never created at all, because of big government. Forget about increasing Newstart by $50 a week, can you imagine what $1.6 trillion could have done for our country?
This is why our TARGET30 campaign to reduce the size of government is so important. We don’t want to lose another $1.6 trillion dollars.
Certain tributes for the recently deposed Prime Minister Julia Gillard (axed by the deposed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd before her) mentioned how ‘productive’ the parliament had been at passing legislation.
532 new laws have been passed yet politicians have been rushing to pass more of them before parliament breaks for the election.
Does anyone think that Australia was dangerously under-governed before 2010?
If the legislation doesn’t pass before the election will the country descend into anarchy?
It’s as simple as this: our freedom requires small government.
Simon Cowan is a Research Fellow at The Centre for Independent Studies.
