Australia is a representative democracy. Citizens who are equal, with a shared responsibility for good government, elect people of different backgrounds and perspectives to set community standards. Those elected are not obliged to tell the truth or act in the public interest or forbidden to act in their own interests or the interests of their supporters. They can also enact unjust laws. The law is an expression of power, not justice, and Parliament is almost supreme.

Since the calibre of those elected is extremely important, it is essential that voters are well-informed, especially now we live in a complex, multicultural nation where multiple interests are in constant conflict and almost every decision attracts strong dissent.

The established parties, which receive large sums of public money to finance their campaigns, are controlled by professional, "whatever it takes" politicians. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Self-interest is a powerful human impulse. Even so, as Earl Warren, a former US Supreme Court chief justice, pointed out decades ago, "In civilised life, law floats in a sea of ethics. Each is indispensable to civilisation."

Australians might be more comfortable calling "ethics" the "pub test", but most implicitly accept that society functions best when we respect each other, give each other a "fair go", support the underprivileged and protect the future. Of course, not all agree. A substantial number of people regard ethics and empathy as barriers to success. Many politicians are in that category.