Should Australia do away with States? As most of the country was once called New South Wales anyway!?

[WayneA]

Our country is large enough not to need State borders! Even though travelling from Sydney to Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth is like going overseas. Actually, come to think of it, as a New Soth Welshman, i don't really want to be associated with Victorians, the rest of the country i don't mind, but its just something irritating about the Vics! I mean they don't even play Rugby League, atleast Queenslanders are tough, strong people who are good enough to give us a run for our money, and speak the same language in sport as we do!I guess its more the inept, inefficient local and State Governments that are holding the country back. What about having Commonwealth ownership and control of our resources and departments instead?

[KatieL]

hey matei live in aust too-queensland to be precise and no thnakyou i like the way it is.as what would happen to all the compettions bnetween usSTATE OF ORIGIN in fact as well as other compsi od taekwondo with qld state team and there is nothing more satisfying than playing off against people form other states if we had only 1 state then where is the rivalry that we have, come to know and love too!i agree with all the sort stuff u said!!!go the mighty maroons!!!!!!!!katie L

[owains]

Rugby League is for poofters! Mind you, AFL is gay!The only real football has a round ball.Now, my answer: State governements have been a noose around our necks for decades: expensice,self-indulgent, and altogether bloody pointless. John Bruby in Victoria is like his predecessor: he looks into everything and does bugger all.Maurice Iemma has on his last legs in NSWAll the other state governements are just time and money wasters!About 22 million population and 3 tiers of government? Too many chiefs and too much bureaucracy.

[Secie]

LOL - I don't think I understand... I don't think that the larger a country is, the less need it has to be divided into states. And if there ever were any changes in state borders, I doubt that football is going to be a major deciding factor. If for some strange reason you don't like Victorians, why would you want that state border to come down? And if you're a football fan... who do you think NSW are going to play in the State of Origin if there are no other states? What exactly would you like to happen when all of the state governments of Australia have been eliminated?

[TimN]

Most, but not all. Western Australia was never a part of New South Wales, and never will be. Centralising more power in Canberra would not be a good thing, and yet another reason to secede.

[ozmaniac6558]

Having 3 tiers of government is incredibly wasteful and inefficient . We currently have 8 (or perhaps 9) Health Departments instead of 1; 8 (or 9) Education Departments instead of 1; 8 Police services and the list of duplications (multiplications) goes on and on. I'd get rid of state governments and beef up local government to some extent. That way, the Feds would look after all the things they already do plus all health, education, housing, police and prisons, infrastructure including all main roads, ports and dams, aboriginal affairs, transport except for local services and anything else aside from purely local affairs. Local government would cover wider geographical areas and handle things like garbage collections, local roads, local transport (buses, city trains, ferries etc.) and local amenities.Removing the states would cause a massive upheaval and I don't imagine for a moment that the states will ever allow it to happen but it's nice to dream. The state politicians and bureaucrats will fight to to death to keep their jobs and won't care in the least that the country would be better offIt could be done however: the federal government already funds pretty well everything from our taxes and hands vast amounts back to the states to be distributed (and often wasted) by them. State governments don't actually raise much in their own right and stamp duties, which were supposed to be replaced by the GST contribute a large proportion of what they do raise. Ah well, it's nice to dream.For sport and other things where competition is desirable, simply replace the states with regions determined on a population basis. It would be fairer than having a large population state like NSW competing against say, WA. It wouldn't take long before new rivalries replaced the old.

[meganjones_march1990]

When it comes to education, I think we should do away with states, etc, because if your going to interstate to go to another uni/tafe, it makes things very hard, etc. Otherwise, I think sometimes states can be a good idea!

[cc_of_0z]

As a Western Australian (living in Sydney) I can categorically say that Western Australia was never a part of New South Wales. From the outset the state had its original name to today. As for getting rid of the states, how would you feel if the federal government, dictating to your local government was based in Perth instead of a few hours drive from where you are now? What if it was in New Zealand? Because thats exactly the kind of question you would be asking West Australians, Territorians and Queenslanders (especially Far north Queensland).I for one know that my parents in remote north western Australia could not see their guy in Canberra, only a mere 5000-6000kms away , could possibly understand what it is like to live in the inhospitable Pilbara region sitting whilst sitting in his office amonst the plush surrounds of the big city.It is bad enough already that their current local member is based in Kalgoorlie, thats only 2000kms away. They only get to see him (if they're lucky to at all) at election time during his annual whistle stop tour of his electorate. Note that his electorage is the largest in the world, extending from the Great Australian bight to the Kimberleys.Only a person from a large southern metropolis would even consider such an option. Believe me the rest of Australia will out an out give this a categorical thumbs down.

[fruitsalad]

I would love to do away with state governments, everything they do could be done better and more efficiently by the Federal government, and they get in the way of progress. Look for example at what the Victorian government has been doing holding the Murray River to ransom. The states could become regions instead, for sport etc.While we're at it we could abolish the Senate as well.

[aflumpire9294]

your blubber on sport makes no sense......but I do agree that state governments are holding back the develpment of this country.......but what would you rather? As it is now, every state as its own country (more complications) or one country which means that the federal government can get away with more (no matter what party).other than that, GO QUEENSLAND in the state of origin (although I am an AFL fan) and hey, cant ya lay off the poor vics for a bit??