Diktats in a democracy

Over the past few weeks, we have seen the prime-mentalist and cabinet ministers acting like petty dictators, publicly saying to banks and other companies, "If you do not do what we want we shall make you."

So much for a liberal democracy, where laws are generalised, and the government does not interfere in particular cases where there is no illegality!

The most recent case occurred yesterday, in Parliament, when Harriet Harridan declared that if energy companies did not cut their prices to consumers, and treat all customers equally, "..we will change the law to force them to do it."

Of course, it may be all posturing, grubbing a few more votes by trying to be the champion of the voters.

Making law for particular cases, concerning only small numbers of firms, will be bad law. It is yet more evidence that the executive (-the Government) is taking over parliament and acting in a partisan and intrusive way over private citizens. This sounds more like the Socialism of the Nazis or the Communists. We have control bodies who are armed with detailed knowledge about the individual companies they control. If the companies are using their monopoly power illegally, or colluding, it is the control bodies who should be acting, and the force of competition acting to push down prices.

It ill becomes a pumped up politician to threaten in ignorance, even in their own area of responsibility. We must hope that it is mere empty rhetoric, and not meant seriously. Otherwise we really have ceased to be a liberal democracy.