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Authors question role of ‘elective dictatorships’
University of the Sunshine Coast academic Dr Scott Prasser has co-authored a provocative new book called Restraining Elective Dictatorship: The Upper House Solution, that is to be officially launched today.
Dr Prasser has worked with Nicholas Aroney of the University of Queensland and JR Nethercote of the Menzies Research Centre to compile the book that features contributions from 21 leading international scholars and politicians.
The authors examine the issue of whether it is possible for western democracies that have only one house of parliament to hold their governments accountable.
The book will be formally launched in Canberra today by former Justice of the High Court Ian Callinan QC. Senator George Brandis, who contributed to the book, will chair the launch in the President's chamber of the Senate.
Dr Prasser said the book evolved from a conference in 2006 that assessed whether it was necessary and/or viable to reintroduce an upper house in Queensland.
He said modern democracies that have become dominated by tight party discipline and an increasingly-politicised public service had, in effect, become “elective dictatorships”.
“In places where there are no upper houses, whatever the government wants to do, the government does,” he said.
“All the other Australian States have an upper house. In the United States, only one state doesn’t have an upper house, whereas Canada and New Zealand have done away with theirs.
“The potential antidote to elective dictatorships is the operation of a vibrant upper house to improve accountability and act as a brake on executive government dominance.
“An upper house provides for checks and balances: better accountability; better scrutiny of government; and making the government think twice before going ahead and doing something.”
The USC Senior Lecturer in Management said critics of upper houses of parliament usually argued that they inhibit or restrain governments from acting decisively.
He said recent criticisms of the Senate for not immediately approving the Federal Government’s $42 billion financial stimulus package highlighted the perception that upper houses cause unnecessary delays.
Restraining Elective Dictatorship: The Upper House Solution, published by UWA Press, uniquely analyses the operations of upper houses across Australian state and federal jurisdictions as well as the United Kingdom, USA and Canada.
“No other book tackles such a broad range of disciplinary backgrounds, geographic origins and political perspectives,” Dr Prasser said.
— Terry Walsh