U4 AO2 1a lesson 10: factors that affect the ability for parli to make laws Flashcards
the representative nature of parliament (15 cards)
representation
acting or speaking on behalf of individuals or groups of people
In 2022, Victorian parliament published research to indicate that the average MP was:
* Male
*University educated
* Born in Australia
* middle aged
Similarly, women and migrant Australians are consistently disproportionately reflected in the composition at both Victoria and Cth levels.
parliament composition
In 2022, at the opening of the latest (47th) parliament stats
- 44% of federal parliamentarians were women, up from 26% in 2002
- 57% of total filled seats in the Senate were women, up from 28% in 2002.
parliament composition
August 2024 stats
- 4.4% of federal parliamentarians are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, up from 0.4% on the parliamentary opening date in 2002
- 7.6% of federal parliamentarians are aged under 40 years, while 28% of the Australian population is aged between 20 and 40 years.
regular elections
To achieve representative government, regular elections are held enabling the Australian people to elect members to represent them in parliament.
This process ensures that MPs are mindful to act in the best interest of the people, as a failure to do so will increase the risk of being voted out of office at the next election.
regular elections : compulsory voting
Compulsory voting also ensures a certain level of participation in Australian democracy; however, it has been criticized as forcing those who do not wish to politically engage to cast a vote which may be uninformed and not representative of their lawmaking desires and values.
regular elections : short periods in office
a relatively short period in office (3 years for Cth, 4 years for State), places constant pressure on governments of the day to efficiently make legislation that is intended to improve society.
The level of commitment to election promises can also determine a government’s chance of re-election.
diverse rep + law making
MP with the best intentions of representing their community may lack the lived experiences of certain demographics they will not likely be able to fully represent their community in lawmaking.
there is no requirement for MPs to reside on the community they are elected to represent, this can also impact their awareness of local knowledge on key issues.
diverse rep + law making: how parliament can address lack of diversity
lack of diversity should not matter so much in that if community members want to communicate with their local member, they can use methods such as petitions and demonstrations to put forward their views.
parli can utilise formal law reform bodies such as Victorian Law Reform Commission or Australian Law Reform Commission to gauge the views of the community to ensure those views are represented in lawmaking.
diverse rep + law making: marginal seats
MP may need to address issues of diverse community in order to win marginal seats
strength of parliament representative nature: regular elections
- Regular elections place pressure on MPs to represent the views of their constituents as failure to do so could our them at risk of being voted out at the next election. This also holds them accountable to ensure that they refect the views of their voters rather than other political interests (e.g., the views of their party)
strength of parliament representative nature: more woman
Over recent times, an increasing number of women have been elected to parliament at both the Cwth and Victorian levels, closing the gender divide and improving the ability of parliament to reflect the compostion of society in its law-making.
strength of parliament representative nature: compulsory voting
Compulsory voting ensures a large proportion of individuals in Australia participate in elections and that parliaments are comprised of MPs elected by many people. Therefore, if MPs7 truly represent their constituents views, law-making can be reflective of the majority’s views and values.
weakness of parliament representative nature: lack of minority groups
- Historically, in relation to minority cultural groups and women, Australian parliaments have exhibited long-standing disparities in representation, affecting the parliaments’ ability to fully account for these demographics in law-making. As of 2023, parliaments in Australia do not adequately represent minority groups in a way that is proportionate to the population of these groups.
weakness of parliament representative nature: follow majority
- To retain voters, parliament may pass legislation to appeal to most society and gain voter support as opposed to legislating for the entire community.
- Members of parliament may not vote for law reform in areas where vocal minority groups are against the law, out of fear of not being re-elected, even if the law reform is needed to improve society.
weakness of parliament representative nature: party lines
- MPs may feel compelled to vote with their political party, rather than in line with the desires of their electorate or electoral district, reducing the representation of the constituents’ views in parliaments law-making.
