Why our Parliaments don’t work as well as they should (or our governments get away with too much)
If you are only going to read one thing about how Australia’s federal Parliament works – and more importantly how it doesn’t work – read this fabulous piece by the long-standing Clerk of the Senate, Harry Evans.
Among many things, he highlights the fact that the supposed ‘Westminster system’ we are repeatedly told Australia has, is in fact no such thing. The almost totally rigid party discipline – a relatively modern thing – is one reason why Australian Parliaments often fail in their role.
As the Clerk says
It is an historically accurate statement that the Howard Government, with its Senate majority in 2005 to 2007, was the first government to control the Senate. Previous governments, especially non-Labor governments, lacked that control because they could not control their senators.
Sadly it’s true – since 1901, there have been times that the governing party also had a majority of seats in the Senate. But party discipline, especially amongst the allegedly ‘liberal’ party was never anywhere near what it became in the Howard era.
It is often said that the Australian Senate is one of the most powerful Upper Houses in the world. But any institution is only as powerful as those who inhabit it allow it to be.
There are many choice quotes from Harry Evans’ piece to pick from, but perhaps the most damning – and sadly far too accurate – is the following:
We still have one of the weakest legislatures of the democratic world, especially compared with our great and powerful friends. The Parliament here is under a degree of executive domination that would not be tolerated elsewhere, even at Westminster.
I strongly recommend reading the whole thing.
3 Comments, Comment or Ping
Ron Lubensky
I don’t subscribe to Crickey.
Was Harry Evan’s talk the latest in the excellent Senate Occasional Lectures: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/pubs/occa_lect/
If so, a transcript of it should appear there soon, and maybe the video too, which may also go on ABC Fora.
Jul 25th, 2009
Andrew Bartlett
Sorry Ron
I didn’t realise that piece was behind Crikey’s paywall – I must have been logged in to my Crikey when I found it.
But it does look very much like it was based on, or even a reproduction of, the Harry Evans speech you link to. I’ll add the link to the transcript of that once it becomes available.
Jul 25th, 2009
Alfons Renoir
AB, on the issue of Parliamentary democracy and the Senate would you agree that the Group Voting Ticket system has also not served us well? e.g. Steve Fielding gaining a (now potential crucial) seat on less than 2% of primary vote. Shouldn’t GVT be limited to party specific preference allocation instead of encouraging the influence peddling that produces this type of farce?
Aug 6th, 2009
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