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PARLIAMENTARY REFORM - DOWNSIZING PARLIAMENT
On Monday
13 July 1998 the Tasmanian Liberal Premier Hon. A.M. (Tony) Rundle announced
that the Parliament would meet for a special sitting on Wednesday 22 July
1998 to reduce the size of the Tasmanian Parliament. This
reduction would result in a Legislative Council of 15 members rather than
19, and a House of Assembly of 25 members rather than 35.
Following
the passage of the Parliamentary Reform Bill 1998 (31/1998) in
the Legislative Council on Thursday 23 July an election was held on Saturday
29 August 1998 at which 25 House of Assembly members were elected.
Brief History of Downsizing Parliament
- In
1983 Liberal Premier Robin Gray established an advisory committee, which
reported in 1984. The Ogilvie Report1 recommended against
any reduction in the size of the Tasmanian Parliament.
- In
November 1993 Liberal Premier Ray Groom introduced a pair of linked
measures: a reduction in the House of Assembly from 35 to 30 members
and a 40% salary increase for the remaining MPs. These issues were 'untied'
during the parliamentary process and only the 40% pay rise was passed
into law.
- In
March 1994 Liberal Premier Ray Groom established a board of inquiry
into the size of the Tasmanian Parliament which reported in June 1994.
The Morling Report2 recommended against any reduction in
the size of the Tasmanian Parliament. However Morling did suggest that
if a reduction became an 'imperative' then reducing the Parliament from
54 to 44 members was possible. The proposed model was a single Chamber
comprising 7 members from each of 4 Hare-Clark multi-member seats and
16 Members from single member seats.
- In
October 1995 ALP Leader of the Opposition Michael Field introduced a
bill to reduce the Parliament to 40 - electing 5 in each of the five
Assembly seats and 15 MLCs. This bill lapsed.
- In
April 1997 Liberal Premier Tony Rundle, in a document entitled Directions,
proposed a referendum to effect the reduction in the size of Parliament
from 54 to 44 members, using the model proposed by Morling. The proposed
referendum failed.
- Several
attempts were made during mid to late 1997 and early 1998 to reduce
the size of the Parliament. These included a recommendation of the 1997
Nixon Report3 for a 27-member Parliament comprising 9 MPs
elected from three seats. However these proposals bogged down because
the Liberal Government's 44-seat model was not compatible with the 40-seat
ALP model. The Legislative Council did not support the 44 seat model
and resolved in October 1997 that there should be 25 MHAs and no fewer
than 15 MLCs.
This
table and the notes below it set out some of the consequences of these
changes.
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ASSEMBLY
1956-98
|
ASSEMBLY
July 1998 |
COUNCIL
1949-98
|
COUNCIL
from July 1999 |
| Size of Parliament |
35 |
25 |
19 |
15 |
| Term of MPs |
4 years (max#) |
4 years (max#) |
6 years (fixed#) |
6 years (fixed#) |
| Election rotation |
See Term
of MPs above |
See Term
of MPs above |
3## (or 4 in every sixth year)
|
2 or 3 in alternate
years^## |
| Seats per electorate |
7 in 5 |
5 in 5 |
1 in 19 |
1 in 15 |
| Average enrolment |
63,639 |
63,639 |
16,755** |
21,750** |
Average population
for each Member* |
13,480 |
18,872 |
24,832 |
31,453 |
| Valid vote |
At least 7 |
At least 5 |
All |
All> |
| Quota to be elected |
12.5% |
16.7% |
50% +1 |
50% +1 |
| Average quota |
7,955 |
9,824 |
NA |
NA |
Quorum ++
|
14 |
10 |
9 |
7 |
Cabinet [maximum]^^
|
10 |
8^^^ |
See notes+ |
See notes+ |
Notes
# MLCs
have fixed six-year terms because the Council may never be dissolved.
Transitional arrangements were made to reduce the 19 MLCs to 15.
MHAs have a maximum term of four years, but the Premier may seek a dissolution
at any time.
## Annual
elections held first Saturday in May.
^EG:
1999=2, 2000=3, 2001=2, 2002=3, 2004=2, 2005=3.
* Electorates enrolments cannot vary by more than 10% from average.
** Based on population of 471,800 at Dec. 1997.
++ Number of MPs needed to conduct business and make decisions.
^^ If Cabinet has a Cabinet Secretary the maximum number is reduced by one.
^^^In 2002 maximum number raised to 9.
+ No restrictions exist upon the number of MLCs in Cabinet,
however total cannot exceeded.
- Report
of the Advisory Committee on the Proposed Reduction in the Number of
Members Elected to Both Houses of the Tasmanian Parliament to the Premier
the Honourable Robin Trevor Gray, M.H.A. [Hobart]: Government Printer,
1984.
- Report
of the Board of Inquiry into the Size and Constitution of the Tasmanian
Parliament. Hobart, Tas.: Board of Inquiry, 1994.
- The
Nixon report: Tasmania into the 21st century / report to the Prime Minister
of Australia and the Premier of Tasmania. Hobart, Tas.: Commonwealth
State Inquiry into the Tasmanian Economy, 1997.
Postscript:
After the July 2002 State Election the Government named 8 ministers and
a Cabinet Secretary. This breached the limit of 8 then allowed in the
Constitution Act. The Constitution Act was amended in 2002 to increase
the size of cabinet to 9. |
