Voters can make up their minds about whether Labor or the Coalition is most likely to address this looming crisis, but they should bear in mind that minor parties and independents risk special-interest expenditures that derail government restraint
A fragmented House of Representatives spells trouble, especially now. Minority governments, propped up by crossbench deals, breed gridlock and fiscal irresponsibility.
Australians want effective government - not a parliament overrun by haggling or bloated budgets. The 2010-2013 hung parliament showed how fast public trust erodes when governance falters.
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A major party in the House delivers stability and at least some budgetary discipline; a Senate vote for minor parties and independents enables them to keep the bastards honest.
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About the Authors
Dr Scott Prasser has worked on senior policy and research roles in
federal and state governments. His recent publications include:Royal Commissions and Public Inquiries in Australia (2021); The Whitlam Era with David Clune (2022), the edited New directions in royal commission and public inquiries: Do we need them? and The Art of Opposition (2024)reviewing oppositions across Australia and internationally.
Nicholas Aroney is a Fellow of the Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law and Reader in Law at the TC Beirne School of Law, the University of Queensland. He is author of The Constitution of a Federal Commonwealth: The Making and Meaning of the Australian Constitution (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009) and Freedom of Speech in the Constitution (Sydney: Centre for Independent Studies, 1998).
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Scott Prasser
Nicholas Aroney
