Electoral reform to enhance the sovereignty of the people and strategic government in Queensland

Eligibility - Queensland citizens
Principal Petitioner:
Bruce Vaschina
7 Hylacola Drive
ALBANY CREEK QLD 4035
Total Signatures - 140
Sponsoring Member: The Clerk of the Parliament
Posting Date: 30/4/2013
Closing Date: 30/10/2013
Tabled Date: 31/10/2013
Responded By: Hon Campbell Newman MP on 20/11/2013
TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland

Queensland citizens draws to the attention of the House that a number of recent events in the political life of our nation and State have highlighted the fact that ordinary citizens have very limited ability to significantly influence the way their local member votes in Parliament, or government policies, outside of that provided by general elections. This situation is inconsistent with the notion of democracy as “the sovereignty of the people”.

 


Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to initiate necessary changes to the Constitution and/or relevant legislation, to provide for what is known in other jurisdictions around the world as “recall elections”.  The “recall elections” provisions should allow electors to put forward, with due process but without undue difficulty, a petition to remove their current parliamentary representative from office prior to the next general election, thereby prompting a by-election. Having its main purpose as protection of the sovereignty of the people, the petition should not be required to be based on any alleged misconduct, but be purely on the wishes of an appropriate proportion of electors of the particular electoral division. Given such a safeguard, your petitioners would also see value in implementing fixed terms of four, or even five years between general elections to give a good government who is listening to the people, a more suitable length of time to implement strategic programs for the improvement of the social and economic life of the state.