King of Australia

The following paragraphs were written before the publication of de Bono's book, "Why I want to be King of Australia", and assumed that the role of the King would have some legislative powers. This turned out not to be the case, as you will no doubt discover when you read the book.

Why we need a King

Think about the biggest problems in society.  Are there solutions?  Of course.  Is any elected government going to do something about it?  Probably not.

We need a King because politicians aren't doing a good job and it's not their fault.   If it was their fault, we could just replace them with politicians who had more ability and we would have a fine working democracy.

The reason politicians don't always act for the greater good of their country is probably the same reason you don't.  And as you are probably aware, it's not your fault either.

You go off to a new job with a heart full of good intentions.  Then you find that as a newcomer you have to learn how things are done.  The customers obviously want some tasks performed.  And the boss likes things done a certain way.  Then there is equipment and work tools that impose further restrictions on what you can and cannot do.

At the end of it all, you don't have a big say in what your job entails or how it is to be performed.

Politicians are accountable to even more people:

• The voters in their local constituencies.
• The people who tend to vote for them (eg. School teachers, small business people).
• The Parliamentary party.
• Their supporters at the branch level.
• The leader of their party.

So let's not blame politicians for being hopeless, they can't help it.  At the same time they will resist every attempt to change the system that put them there.   After all, politicians who have realised the futility of their position have already resigned.

There is some element of exaggeration in all this.  Politicians are not completely ineffectual, and no doubt they would hurry to point out exactly where they have succeeded.   But given what we require of them, they fall far short:

• We need governance which will act in the long term interests of our country.  Long term is one hundred years, not just "until the next election."
• We need the sort of leadership that is not afraid to make mistakes.  Never trying anything that isn't guaranteed of success will see a lot of worthwhile ideas languish.
• We need the sort of leadership which can express tomorrow's ideas today.  Without that, we are never going to hear anything more than our conventional notions repeated back to us.
• We need issues addressed that democratically elected politicians find too sensitive to handle.

A simple and effective solution is to have a monarch.  Not as a replacement for democracy, but as a supplement.

Implementation

Everyone knows that a king is a good idea and a bad idea.

It is a good idea because countries need leadership and swift action in the face of a rapidly changing world.  And it is a bad idea because when you put people in a position of power they usually can't resist the temptation to abuse it.

A lazy person would see that the idea of a King is flawed and turn the TV back on.   But everyone else will understand that nothing is perfect and one must fashion a workable solution from what is available.

How can we make reduce the risk of abuse of power?

• The King could serve for a fixed term of a few years, with no possibility of a continuance.
• The King could be chosen on the basis of many years of service to the community.   Such people are unlikely to turn into free-loaders.
• The King could be periodically and publically interrogated as to what he has done to aid his country's long-term interests.

If Edward de Bono is not made King?

It is hard not to shudder at the thought of what Australia might look like in 10 years time if Edward de Bono is not made King.  I have started writing a list of possibilities:

• The only people not taking drugs will be the truly apathetic.
• Video stores will sell tapes featuring famous people going to the toilet.
• Television sets will automatically change channels every 15 seconds.
• Primary school kids will be forced to drink Coca-Cola as a mid-morning refreshment.
• Jeff Kennett will have built a freeway connecting everyone's house with everyone else's house.
• Just looking at a pretty child will be a crime.
• The dictionary will list only two adjectives: "cool" and "dumb".
• Tax reform will fall another 10 years behind.
• A TV personality (eg. Eddie McGuire) will be the King.

Philipp Bachmann

Copyright © 1999