I totally get where you're coming from. It's hard for me not to view the US (being a recovering seppo myself) as an empire doomed to walk the path of all empires. I still really love the idea of a country based on rule of law by the consent of the governed and all that jazz. But, at some point I stopped believing the US government is even able to reform itself adequately in its current form. Too much of that apparatus is of no interest to anyone who could have a positive impact. The sheer un-coolness of local politics means only the deeply uncool get involved. To say nothing of the bad campaign finance laws!

I wish I knew enough about Australian politics to make a worthwhile comparison. For what it's worth, I think the main thing that makes a government unfit to be reformed is sheer size - your government could never be so large as the US one, so at least there I'm hopeful for positive change towards more stability. Just don't let them build empires!