Fitzgibbon says eliminate the states

(Friday 4 July 2008)

Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon has said that Australia is the most over-governed country in the world and has called for an elimination of the states.

Mr Fitzgibbon says Australia needs to become a republic first, but even bigger changes are needed in the long-term.

"The immediate task is Commonwealth/state relations and the Prime Minister is focused on that task," he said.

"But in the longer term we really do need to have a look at the broader construct, parliamentary reform and of course whether or not we need to be maintaining six states. It’s leading to lots of duplication and inefficiency, it's costing the economy billions and it's a discussion we need to have."

(read the full story at http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/04/2294137.htm?section=australia)

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