A smaller Australian government would mean bigger Australians

We depend on the government, but how wise is this when we demonstrate our dissatisfaction with it by changing it regularly.

I would propose we learn to rely on ourselves. That we learn our actions have benefits and consequences, and we learn to deal with these. Not run to "mummy" every time something goes wrong.

And this is the real issue - lack of personal strength - we all want to run away to someone else to solve our problems. But the more we run away, the less we deal with our own problems and the less freedom we maintain.

Hong Kong and Mainland China provide a good example of the pitfalls of relying on government for everything.

In Hong Kong, where historically they had little or no natural resources, the government was forced to step back and allow for trade, a free market and only act to provide defense, a court to confirm contracts and the bare bones of government.

This left Hong Kong with an outstanding amount of growth, their GDP has grown 200 fold over the last 50 years. Over the same period China's protectionist closed government policies of the mid-twentieth century led it to grow less then half of that.

Despite China's more substantial natural assets a small government allowed the people to be more prosperous.

New York is another illustration of the principle in practice. The early waves of immigration to New York, where there was little or no government control, provided a backbone for one of the fastest growing, most prosperous countries of the century.

Government should be like a laid-back parent - provide protection, provide itself as an incubator for fulfilling our own life's aspiration, and allow us to judge our own morality and ethics. All this of course with moderation.

They shouldn't do things for us, they should allow us to fail and succeed, knowing we will grow from both. Stepping back can be just as powerful as stepping in.

If we stopped running to mummy and took back our freedoms, we would all live a happier, better, more fulfilled life.