We need more tradies in politics

We need more tradies in politics, for people not acquainted with the term tradies, this is a person holding a vocational qualification in a certified trade. Trade based training is strictly controlled by the state government with the qualification awarded by the government and not a training institute.

In Canberra we have way too many career politicians with no real background in running a business, working in a business or even holding down a job. Currently we have a whole cohort of people who finish high school, head off to university and gain a certain political ideology along with a law or arts degree and then enter politics.

Then these people head into government as a political advisor, communications advisor or some other role rubbing shoulders with our political masters. Tradies on the other hand learn the job from the bottom up, trades are workplace based with part-time training and assessment over a four year period.

Tradies have a first hand knowledge of the job, it is a true hands on role and the high performers are identified and slotted into supervisory and management roles. This is what we need in government, practical people who solve real life problems on a daily basis - this is how you prepare people for public administration.