Quiet obedience can never serve Labor MPs well

A party dominated by factional warlords, union bosses and machine apparatchiks has crushed the spirit of those with any independence.

No one questions these autocrats. Not if they want to survive.

However, this is not just about independence or egos. It's bad politics. Backbenchers have lost interest in question time, and that stops them from doing investigative work.

Let me quote from the column I wrote four years ago: "Shortly after the 1971 budget, the first lady and I were dining with a Woy Woy dentist who told us of his outrage when he had learned that oil companies had gambled against an increase in fuel excise in the budget by paying five times their normal amount of excise on fuel held in bond at Kurnell the week before the budget.

"When the treasurer increased the fuel excise by 2c a gallon, they made millions. Had excise remained unchanged, they would not have lost a cent. 'How do you know that?' I asked. His response: 'My brother works at the bond store.’”

The next day, I asked the then minister for customs and excise, Don Chipp, a question. His mouth opened and closed a number of times before he had to admit he didn't know.

Later that day he admitted I was right and that liquor and cigarette companies had also made millions with the same dodgy practice. The headlines the next day ensured the practice ceased.

My experience was far from unique.

There will be those who ask: who cares? Well, for a start, those who care about parliamentary democracy and who resent the erosion of the right of ordinary MPs to speak out on behalf of their constituents.

The leader and his front bench should have the pre-eminent role at question time, but not a completely dominant one.

Can anything be done about it? Of course it can. The new Leader of the Opposition did not start this odious practice, but he can stop it. And he will if he cares about the institution of parliament.

He has made the most impressive start of any leader of the Opposition in memory. He has the authority. He should use it.

If not it will be up to the back bench. But to coin a phrase, do they have the ticker?