I've noticed two moves in Queensland to liven up the hoary old 'Bill of Rights' issue. Last year or thereabouts the ex governor general and a bunch of lost cause ex politicians were named as running some kind of inquiry into domestic violence or whatever (was it named 'taskforce for domestic violence ??) and there was a series of reasonably considered reports produced that are still as far as I'm aware available from the Department of Communities website. As far as I'm concerned, thats as far as this event will go, overprivileged fatcats like ex-governors general don't as a rule do much for the hoi-polloi. I did send an email to the department (which hasn't been responded to in the several weeks since I sent it) although some bird did phone me and directed me to some page where I could leave feedback. Needless to say nothing has become of that, which isn't unexpected. The stuff in the reports is fine as far as it goes, however much of it mirrors earlier reports from the Law Reform Commission and their reports will be hidden under a 100mm of dust by now.
More recently there was an invitation doing the rounds for a human rights speaker crapping on about a real Bill of Rights for Queensland (supposedly someone 'significant' although like the Bloke Upstairs, I am no respecter of persons and haven't a clue who he is). Anyway most of us in the anti-kangaroo court / Adult Guardian / Public Trustee group managed to get tickets so we'll be rocking up to hear what this turkey is on about. One never knows, its just possible he's fair-dinkum although I'm not in the habit of expecting much from anyone who claims to be 'significant', more so since the event is to be held at parliament house. My guess is that whoever it is is angling for a nice cushy ministership, after which he'll forget everything he promised to get elected.
As for corrupted government, truth is that if perchance it was properly 'cleaned out' who do you suggest would run the country. Mind you I'm not for a moment suggesting a cleanout would be a bad thing, but suddenly removing every politician and every bureaucrazy at once would be 'interesting' (I can only dream). The only politicians who come to mind that 'might' be worth retaining are that ex-blacksmith Senator 'Mad Dog' John Madigan (definitely a decent bloke), possibly Nick Zenophon and Peter Wellington although they are ex-lawyers).