Klaas Woldring writes: How can we ensure that the government actually represents the majority, rather than just the majority faction of the major party?

In recent months leader Anthony Albanese appears to be favouring small target policies that avoid controversy.

This strategy would prevent a reoccurrence of 2019.

However, despite a horrific year of pandemic troubles and now a senseless nuclear powered submarine deal with the US and UK, the Morrison Government still leads in the polls.

Only Paul Keating comprehensively and correctly rejects the submarine deal as sheer stupidity.

The ALP now has the opportunity to establish a truly independent foreign policy. But Albanese's ALP has failed again.

The ALP seems unable to effectively generate new and bold policies to deal with numerous issues.

Why wait with flagging innovative policies while the opportunity for renewal is banging on the door?

The conservatism in the party is staggering. All the traditional concerns are there, but this is a time when more, much more, is required.

The opportunity for renewal is now.

The lack of trust in the political system has been well established. Voters want to hear of plans to restore it.

That doesn't mean more of the same. It means what else can a party come up with that grabs the imagination and renews the voters' interest and commitment?

An important federal election lies ahead. Instead, we still hear that the ALP wants "to govern in its own right", as is the way of the two-party system.

How about cancelling the two-party system? How about the ALP listens to what the Greens have to say and consider a coalition with them?

And possibly make a pact with some Independents as Julia Gillard managed to do quite well.

It is high time to address the lack of representation of multicultural Australia in the national parliament. How can that be remedied?

How can we stop the endless pork-barrelling, branch stacking, etc. How can we ensure that the government actually represents the majority, rather than just the majority faction of the major party?

How can we achieve a cooperative political culture, rather than the adversarial, combative and frequently negative tone of parliamentary debate?

Changing the electoral system to party-list proportional representation would end this vicious cycle.

Constitutionally it is up to the parliament to fix the electoral system. The ALP introduced the Hare-Clark system to the senate in 1949.

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Australia's political system clearly is no longer fit for purpose.

There is a great deal of sheer incompetence at the highest level of political decision-making.

What will the ALP do to restore the capacity of the public service, to ensure that universities are no longer treated as business organisations?

Of course, we are not just mentioning here the disease of political fatigue in the ALP. A lot of Liberal voters are also tired of their party and its obvious failures. Hence the New Liberals and the several Independents who are popping up to have a go.

Voters may well be looking for candidates with guts and new ideas rather than the boring major party regulars pushed by one factional leader or another or parachuted in from far way to take a safe seat.

Top of my list for system renewal would be replacing the electoral system with party-list proportional representation used in 89 countries but not familiar here.

A variant of it is in use in New Zealand since 1996 - with excellent results. Coalition government, formed after elections, is the norm.

It results in a cooperative political culture. And this system is fair, a claimed ALP ambition, because representation is "in proportion of the votes cast for a party".

Furthermore, why continue with the Westminster practice of selecting ministers only from the elected representatives?

It is not surprising that Australia has so many incompetent ministers.

The voters are looking for renewal.

The ALP needs a leader who understands this, now, not after the next election failure.

If Albanese is not that person, he should stand aside.

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