Peace, Order and Good Government: State Constitutional and Parliamentary Reform

Fundamental reform of State Constitutions is needed now more than ever. Indeed, the process is under way in all States and Territories. Across Australia there is a growing belief that public institutions must be made more relevant to the needs of an increasingly restless electorate. Parliaments and Constitutions that remain unreformed and unreviewed tend to lose the essential public confidence that is crucial to a healthy representative democracy. Citizen initiated referendums, the size and the role of the Houses of Parliament, the accountability of Ministers, the role and the method of choice of the Governor, the independence and functions of the Speaker and issues of privilege are all matters of current debate and will remain as key features of future reforms. This book offers a timely contribution to the process of institutional regeneration and poses a range of reforms appropriate for State Constitutions at the start of the new century.