THE REFORMERS WHO laid the basis of Australia's present success had the intelligence and courage to take action when it was needed. Will the same be said of the current generation of politicians? It is by no means certain. That Australia is successful is not in doubt. It has a prospering economy, a harmonious and egalitarian society, an ability to accommodate immigrants, an excellent civil service, an independent central bank, a good balance of personal freedom and limited government, sensible pension arrangements, sporting prowess and a fine cuisine. There is no underclass, no permanently depressed area, no significant group of citizens who challenge the values of its society. Its cities do have pockets of despair, but neither slums nor ghettos. It is a flourishing democracy, one of the oldest in the world, with a long history of pioneering reform: when America got round to introducing the secret vote in 1872 it was known as the Australian ballot, because the Aussies had had it since the 1850s.
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