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Vision for the Future – Democracy

Vision for the Future – Democracy

In Australia, there are both State and Federal parliaments, most with two chambers – hundreds of elected representatives to carry out the wishes of the people. On the surface of things this looks fair enough, but what is the reality?

In the parliaments themselves, more than ninety percent of the time issues are voted on party lines. The party with the ‘numbers' always gets its way as its members loyally yell “aye” or “nay” as the Party Whip directs.

What passes for debate on the issues is usually nothing more than vitriolic point-scoring by overblown egos. There is little attempt to explain positions, to seek consensus, to look at things from the best interests of the people rather than political party interest.

On rare issues, some brave soul might ‘cross the floor' or there might even be a ‘conscience vote', but for the most part, consciences are left at home by the well-paid parliamentary gaggle.

Aside from this limited pretence of democracy, the fact is they are part-timers anyway. Parliaments don't even sit for weeks on end, the pollies swan off on trips overseas, they have long lunches; it's a hard life!

How can a country run this way?

It doesn't. It just goes to show that the real business of running the system is taking place elsewhere, in the corporate boardrooms, in the offices of the permanent public service bureaucracy, managed by faceless, unelected servants of the status quo. It's got nothing to do with democracy.

A popular Constitution

Democracy should be more than just the periodical election of representatives who are no longer accountable.

It should also encompass the implementation of agreed policies, and their adjustment and refinement as they are applied in practice. In other words, democracy should be participatory, involving the people at all stages, not merely during election years.

In a people's democratic republic there would continue to be elections to a single national assembly or parliament or whatever.

The present system of representation would be replaced by a fairer system of proportional representation, with seats set aside for economic regions, cities, indigenous and immigrant communities, workplace and industry delegates, women, disabled people, people from arts and science, even the military and the public service.

It would truly represent all sections and mass organisations of the Australian people rather than the monopoly bosses of the Business Council of Australia and the interests of US imperialism.

A people's constitution

To reach this goal, a new Constitution that guarantees civil liberties and democratic rights would have to be widely consulted, drafted and finally endorsed by referendum, a process that might take some time. In the interim, the vital construction of the prerequisite grass-roots democratic structure could be tackled.

Democratic representation

In the first place, the old colonial States and Territories would go, replaced by twenty or thirty, perhaps fifty elected provincial councils representing regional and economic zones around the country.

Workplace delegates would represent workers and management from the key industries in the country, such as minerals, grain, petrochemicals, heavy manufacturing, transport, power generation, etc; especially where industries have been nationalised and have elected workers' councils overseeing conditions and production levels.

Similarly, communities and localities would elect their neighbourhood committees to express their viewpoint and ensure that policies were applied consistently at that level.

Indigenous communities and other defined groups would also elect their own representatives to participate.

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