Based off the previous debate here, the Policy Development Committee identified some questions to guide the next step in the discussion to work out what sort of political system we would advocate for should the possibility arise for a new constitution in Australia.
If anyone wants to explore any of the ideas here in depth, I suggest starting a separate topic under the Aus Constitutional Reform heading. It will probably need to happen for a few of these topics.
Questions:
- What is the purpose of a government?
- Representative democracy, participatory democracy or a hybrid of the two?
- Extent of individual right and restriction on Government powers. How to balance these?
- Civil law or common law system?
- Flexible or rigid constitution?
- Which system of election for legislators and executive?
- What government tiers should there be?
- Unitary state, federation, confederation, or some other arrangement?
- Constitutional monarchy, republic, or some other arrangement?
- How to limit corporate influence?
- Monist or dualist approach to incorporation of international law?
- How much can law evolve over time?
- Should citizens be able to initiate legislation?
- Breaking deadlocks in the political system