Federal Parliament is currently discussing reforms aimed at forcing politicians to behave better, including penalties like fines and suspension.

While these reforms will be welcomed by the public — especially given most of us would be immediately fired for the kind of behaviour we see regularly in Parliament — they are little more than a fig leaf.

The root causes are structural, workforce development and governance issues. They can’t be fixed with a new HR handbook and a complaint process.

So, while better rules and processes are a good idea, unfortunately, they won’t be enough. This is because – by and large – the quality of talent, intellect, and leadership in politics is so abysmally low.

Think back to the worst job you’ve ever had. Most of us have at least one horror story to tell, maybe involving a toxic boss, unclear responsibilities and accountability, unrealistic expectations or even just unbearable insecurity. Now, imagine a job that combines all of that. This is the life of an MP.

As a politician, like small business owners, you routinely work 80-hour weeks and can never properly ‘switch off’ and have a holiday. It’s relentless.

Like workers in the care or service economies, you spend a lot of time in unpleasant situations pretending to like people. So painful and draining.

Like FIFO workers, you spend 20-plus weeks a year away........

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