Auggie
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So, recently, there have been a few Forum members claiming that my ideas are shallow and that they have capacity to think deeply about the big issues, and challenge existing structures.
In the realm of politics, nothing is bigger or more deep than challenging our current political structure. So, for the purposes of those people who wish to prove to themselves that they are on par with me in terms of the capacity to think deeply and challenge existing structures...
I propose that we have a Constitutional Convention on OzPolitic, similar to the ones held in the 1890s in the Federal Constitutional Conventions.
I put my hand up to the be the President of the Convention, subject to approval by the members. We can have a Vice President etc. at the suggestion of other members of this Forum. -- In order to the get the ball rolling, I will make the first proposal for change in the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900:
Alteration 1 - House of Representatives
Section 24, paragraph 1. Repeal the paragraph, insert: -
"The House of Representatives shall be composed of members directly chosen by the people of the Commonwealth,and the number of such members shall be, as nearly as practicable, twice the number of the senators..
Section 28 - Repeal the section; insert -
"Every House of Representatives shall continue for three five years from the first meeting of the House, and no longer, but may sooner be dissolved by the Governor-General.
Section 31 - Repeal the section; insert -
"Until the Parliament otherwise provides, but subject to this Constitution, the laws in force in each State for the time being relating to elections for the more numerous House of the Parliament of the State shall, as nearly as practicable, apply to elections in the State of members of the House of Representatives.
"The manner of choosing the members of the House of Representatives shall be in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of a mixed-member system."
Alteration 2 - The Senate
Section 7, paragraph 2 - repeal the section:
"But until the Parliament of the Commonwealth otherwise provides, the Parliament of the State of Queensland, if that State be an Original State, may make laws dividing the State into divisions and determining the number of senators to be chosen for each division, and in the absence of such provision the State shall be one electorate."
Section 7, paragraph 3, repeal the section; insert: -
"Until the Parliament otherwise provides there shall be six senators for each Original State. The Parliament may make laws increasing or diminishing the number of senators for each State,5 but so that equal representation of the several Original States shall be maintained and that no Original State shall have less than six senators." There shall be six senators for each State.
Section 13, repeal the section; insert: -
"As soon as may be after the Senate first meets, and after each first meeting of the Senate following a dissolution thereof, the Senate shall divide the senators chosen for each State into two classes, as nearly equal in number as practicable; and the places of the senators of the first class shall become vacant at the expiration of three years, and the places of those of the second class at the expiration of six years, from the beginning of their term of service; and afterwards the places of senators shall become vacant at the expiration of six years from the beginning of their term of service.
The election to fill vacant places shall be made within one year before the places are to become vacant.
For the purposes of this section the term of service of a senator shall be taken to begin on the first day of July following the day of his election, except in the cases of the first election and of the election next after any dissolution of the Senate, when it shall be taken to begin on the first day of July preceding the day of his election."
As soon as may be after the Senate first meets, and after each first meeting of the Senate following a dissolution thereof, the Senate shall divide the senators into six classes (according to their States, to be chosen by lot); and the places of the first class of senators (the first State) shall be vacated at the expiration of one year; of the second State at the expiration of two years; of the third State at the expiration of three years; of the fourth State at the expiration of four years; of the fifth State at the expiration of five years; and of the final State at the expiration of six years; and thereafter each senator shall be chosen every six years according to their State.
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