Three tiers of government

is too much. Downunder is one of the most over-governed and inefficiently governed countries in the world. 

We have three tiers of government. There is the federal government, there are state governments and there are local councils. My state has 68 local councils for a population of just under 1.8 million people.

Slightly ridiculous? Yes.  The Lord Mayor has a piece in the paper this morning saying this - and I have to agree with her. 

Some years ago we had even more local councils but some of them managed to amalgamate - not without argument but it did happen. There have been some changes as a result.

It needs to happen again. This is the least that needs to happen. Our council area is one that has two distinct areas. There is the "plains" area where I live and the "hills" area. The plains area could easily amalgamate with a neighbouring council here. The hills area could easily amalgamate with another up there. We would be rid of at least one council - and rid of many arguments as well. Our current mayor belongs to the hills faction and, naturally, supports that. The previous mayor was a plains man who did try to be even-handed but he was fighting a losing battle.

There are other places with similar problems. The councils, our "local government", are not efficient. There are a great many concerns about corruption. (Want to build "that"? Want to build it "there"? It will cost you...) My uncle, my mother's brother, fought them long and hard over a corruption issue related to building.  He died leaving the issue unresolved. It still isn't resolved years later. 

We really need to be rid of one level of government. We need a federal government. The powers it has under the constitution are not powers that state or local governments have - or are ever likely to have. 

And we do need some sort of control over more local issues. What the pandemic has shown however is that the current situation needs to change. We should do away with both state and local government and move to what I would call regional government. These could be smaller than the states but bigger than the councils. They could have powers similar to the councils but answer to both the federal government and the people who elect them. It would be far more efficient. 

I hear screams of course. We can't do away with state governments! We need the councils! Those who love to be "involved" in politics would fight the suggestion tooth and nail.

Perhaps it is time for a letter to the editor? At least we could debate it.