Real vision: merge councils, abolish state governments

There are five councils in the south west area covered by this online newspaper, Camden, Wollondilly Shire, Fairfield, Liverpool and Campbelltown.

And in a couple of weeks, four of them will hold an election for mayor.

Deals will be done and a mayor will be elected for another year.

Liverpool is the odd man out, because the mayor is elected for four years along with a new council.

The irony is that there will be plenty of people in Liverpool who would be wishing they too could change the mayor in September just like the other south west councils.

It’s a free country and the people can please themselves when it comes who they would like as their leader.

The people can also choose to change their mind about someone, depending on his or her performance.

But in this case I would caution these people that they should be careful what they wish for.

At least when the people vote for the mayor it’s democracy at work, for better or worse.

When the councillors choose a mayor every year, well, it could be a hit or miss result.

I have seen some excellent, competent people fail to win promotion to the top job because they won’t do grubby deals or other reasons.

And then there’s been some mediocrities seek – and sometimes attain – the most important job in a local government area.

You’d think there’s nothing worse than a mediocrity getting such a job, but there is: such a mediocrity being promoted for mayor by some dunce in the media.

Most journalists stay away from actually lobbying for a particular candidate, but sometimes there is an exception to the rule.

In any case, four councils will hold a mayoral election later this month and the only suggestion I would make is try to give to the job to the best person available, and not to the one who promises to return the favour next year.

Barking up the wrong tree, I know, but you can’t just stop trying.

Councils need a good shake up, no doubt about it.

It’s what’s behind the amalgamation attempt by the state government.

The problem is that somebody needs to rattle the state government cage, too. They, too, are stuck somewhere in the middle of the 20^th century, around 1950 or 1960.

Of course there are too many councils and they should be merged to form just half a dozen across the metropolitan area.

But if we really had the guts for some real vision in this country, the bigger picture would see the birth of big regional councils followed by the death of state governments.

I reckon their passing would be lamented by hardly anyone.

♦ One final thing: today the Wests Tigers play their final NRL match for 2015.

The match is a home game at Homebush, in the Olympic Stadium, or ANZ Stadium to give it its commercial name.

We play St George Illawarra, who need to win to ensure they finish eighth. As for the Tigers they are only playing for pride.

But after appointing a new CEO and signing up a new major sponsor this week the Wests Tigers finish the year in a high of sorts.

As far as Robbie Farah goes I’m backing the coach; how can you judge him properly unless he gets his way with the makeup of his playing squad?

There have been some other positive signs: James Tedesco has been tremendous, the halves Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks are slowly maturing, our centres Tin Simona and Kevin Naiqama are looking the goods and up front our young forwards are starting to stand up for themselves.

Taylor has played his part by sticking by the young guns and I have no doubt the rewards are not too far away.