In this session Kim and James discuss what Representative Democracy is and how it is reflected in the constitution.
Recorded at the Museum of Australian Democracy.
Resources related to this episode:
First National Parliament – in Melbourne
Section 125 – Seat of Govt
‘Old’ Parliament House 1927-1988
2009 opened as MoAD
MoAD – Super-booth for Referendum – https://www.moadoph.gov.au
As it was for last election https://www.smh.com.au/national/act/old-parliament-overrun-with-voters-20130907-2tbue.html
First women to serve in the Parliament – and their sculpture.
https://www.nca.gov.au/environment/projects/past-projects/dame-dorothy-tangney-and-dame-enid-lyons-sculpture
Indigenous people and the Parliament
https://www.naa.gov.au/students-and-teachers/learning-resources/learning-resource-themes/government-and-democracy/activism/portrait-wiradjuri-elder-jimmy-king-billy-clements-outside-parliament-house
The Australian Constitution can be found at https://www.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/foi-logs/foi-2021-017.pdf
Sections 7 and 24 – ‘directly chosen by the people’.
1990s High Court decisions that determined that those words led to an implied freedom of political communication. https://www.vgso.vic.gov.au/implied-constitutional-freedom-political-communication
Compulsory Voting in Australia (not constitutionally required but in the Electoral Act) https://www.textpublishing.com.au/books/from-secret-ballot-to-democracy-sausage-how-australia-got-compulsory-voting
Section 41
Women of the 1890s https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/pops/pop25/c05
Indigenous people and the right to vote – https://www.jstor.org/stable/3641224
Aboriginal representation Neville Bonner – 1971 https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/first-australians/other-resources-about-first-australians/neville-bonner
Commonwealth Electoral Act – 1902 https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp2223/120FranchiseActSymposium
The right to vote and the right to run for Parliament.
Section 44(i) of the Constitution
Over half Australians born overseas or parents born overseas
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/census-2021-almost-half-of-australians-had-a-parent-born-overseas/5r9mi7esi
For questions about the information discussed, contact: Kim.Rubenstein@canberra.edu.au