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Foreword to the first edition
David
Hamer is one of a small band of politicians
who have had experience in both houses of the Australian Parliament. The
passage between chambers is best known in the movement from the Senate to the
House, and usually occurs when an aspirant for the highest executive office
moves to the only house in which a prime minister can now expect to sit. David
Hamer’s movement was in the opposite
direction, and perhaps it is not surprising that one outcome of such a
political experience is this thoughtful and important book on ‘responsible
government’, a phrase much used at times of political drama, but not well
understood.
The focus
of the book, understandably, is on the institution of parliament. But it is
worth saying something about the people for whom, by whom and of whom the
parliament is constituted-the citizens, or the electorate. It is common to
blame parliamentarians for their sins of commission and omission. Since they
have all in some sense been elected, however, some responsibility surely lies
also with the electors.
What we
know of Australian electors, through survey and other evidence, is that they
are not schooled in the history or philosophy of responsible government. They
do have a strong belief in the virtues of voting, and they see their power as
negative in character rather than positive-that is, their job is to put
governments in and let them get on with the job; if a government does its job
badly they will eventually ‘turf it out’ and put the other lot in. They are
practised voters, and believe not only that they themselves should vote, but
that all other electors should also vote. Although compulsory voting was
instituted by parliamentarians who wanted cheaper elections for their parties,
it is undoubtedly supported by the electors themselves and is in no serious
danger of being dismantled.
The other
plainly important characteristic of electors is that they are partisan: they
prefer (and vote for) one party rather than another, and their preference tends
to be a continuing one. It is that which is largely responsible for the great
stability of the Australian party system, which shows little sign of change,
despite wars hot and cold, depressions and recessions, immigration,
environmental concerns and the changing balance between the sexes.
Partisanship
and frequent elections are the conditions in which the Australian Parliament
operates. Australian politics is in every way as good an example as manufacturing
of the division of labour that so characterises western societies. The electors
rely on the parliamentarians to do the job they have been elected to do. Having
followed their partisanship and flexed their electoral muscles, Australian
citizens return to their absorbing lives after election day with the
satisfaction of those who think they have done a good day’s work. Politics for
them is not a matter of daily concern.
In all of
this they are not very different from British, American, Swedish or Belgian
citizens. The twentieth century did not produce the nineteenth century dream of
a lively citizenry continually occupied with the great questions both of the
day and of existence. Paradoxically, that makes the task of parliament, and the
business of parliamentary reform, even more urgent. David Hamer’s long
experience of the Parliament’s two chambers, and his obvious capacities for
analysis and reflection have combined to produce a book of great importance,
not just to the parliamentarians themselves, but to all of us who care that our
society constantly gets better, not just economically, or musically, or
gastronomically, but in the way it governs itself.
Don
Aitkin
Vice-Chancellor
University
of Canberra
April 1994
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