001 Reading ‘Parliament in the 21st Century’

• Parliament has undergone a revival due to extensive institutional change and adaptation
• What potential does the Australian Government have? What form will it take? How far will it go?
• We need to adopt for the 21^st century political circumstances and get away from the 19^thcentury institution
• Fundamental issue of growing imbalance: two reasons

1. Role of the political party – parliaments character has changed since the 20^th century – no longer a forum for individual politicians to support concerns of their constituents
2. During the 20^th century there was an ascendancy of the executive resulting in the transfer of attention and power to parliament.

• “Environmental change has provided new opportunities and also constraints that have affected both the functioning of parliament and its internal structures”
• Two houses of government – the house of representatives and the senate
• “The term ‘responsible parliamentary government’ captures this fusion of institutions”
• “Parliament as an institution ‘has no fixed place within either the responsible government doctrine or Australian political practice, but is liable to movement according to the tug of power and argument over changing institutional priorities”