SECOND READING Parliamentary Government in Western Australia (Revised Internet Edition) Harry CJ Phillips Original Edition Copyright © 1991, Ministry of Education, Western Australia . Reproduction of this work in whole or part for educational purposes within an educational institution in Western Australia and on condition that it not be offered for sale, is permitted by the Ministry of Education. Designed and illustrated by Rod Lewis and computer typeset by West Ed Media, Ministry of Education. Printed by State Print, Department of State Services. ISBN 0 7309 4532 4 ISBN 0 7309 4127 2 (loose-leaf) Internet Edition First published 2003 by Parliament of Western Australia, Parliament House, Perth, Western Australia Revised Internet Edition © Western Australia, 2010 Reproduction of this work in whole or part for educational purposes within an educational institution in Western Australia and on condition that it not be offered for sale, is permitted by the Parliament of Western Australia. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface (i) Acknowledgements (ii) 1. Citizens of Western Australia: Government and Politics 1 Chapter 1 - Terms 7 2. Australia’s Federal System 8 Chapter 2 - Terms 21 3. Parliament’s History in Western Australia 22 Chapter 3 - Terms 32 4. The Western Australian Constitutional Framework 33 Chapter 4 - Terms 44 5. How a Law is Made in Western Australia 45 Chapter 5 - Terms 58 6. People in Western Australia’s Parliament 59 Chapter 6 - Terms 66 7. Parliament at Work 67 Chapter 7 - Terms 79 8. Parliament House 80 Chapter 8 - Terms 92 9. Elections and Referendums 93 Chapter 9 - Terms 109 10. Political Parties and Party Leaders 110 Chapter 10 - Terms 120 11. Government at Work 121 Chapter 11 - Terms 129 12. The Courts 130 Chapter 12 - Terms 144 13. Resources 145 14. Answers, Terms and Index 154 Terms Index 161 Subject Index 163 PREFACE Since the publication of Second Reading: Parliamentary Government in Western Australia in 1991 there has been a substantial growth in political and civic education programs. The Whereas the People Report (1994), which emanated from the Prime Minister’s Civics Experts Panel, made a series of recommendations that helped stimulate the drive for civic education. A comprehensive package of resources labelled under the rubric of ‘Discovering Democracy’ was published and distributed to schools throughout Australia. Understandably, though, the valuable ‘Discovering Democracy’ materials did not focus on the State tier of government. However, there were calls for this vacuum to be filled. The Royal Commission into the Commercial Affairs and Other Matters (1992) specifically called on Parliament to play a role in education programs. The Western Australian Report of the Constitutional Committee (1995) then canvassed a range of strategies to enhance civic and political education, including a recommendation ‘that the State Government support the establishment of a Constitutional Centre, incorporating a museum and with community education functions, ideally to be situated near Parliament House’. Later the Commission on Government (COG) (1996) made a recommendation that the government should make a much greater effort to ‘promote and fund civics education’. In response to these recommendations the government ratified the building of the Constitutional Centre of Western Australia, which was opened in October 1997. Meanwhile, in 1998, Western Australia adopted a new curriculum framework which incorporated an Active Citizenship strand in the Society and Environment Outcomes. Active Citizenship encompassed democratic processes, social justice and economic sustainability. Agencies in Western Australia such as Parliament, the Western Australian Electoral Commission, the Francis Burt Law Centres, as well as the Constitutional Centre, have continued to make their contributions to civic and citizenship education. In 2005 a National project was undertaken which focused on the development of Statements of Learning in the domains of Civics and Citizenship and other subjects. The Statements of Learning describe the essential skills, knowledge, understandings and capacities that all young Australians should have the opportunity to learn by the end of Years 3,5,7 and 9. National Testing of Civics and Citizenship began in 2004. It has been continued with periodic reports being published. Each chapter of Second Reading contains informational material and a number of exercises relevant to the interests of upper primary and lower secondary students. The Challenge exercises provide more difficult material as useful background for teachers; that may also be used for the more capable students. The Terms section highlights some of the key political terms used in each chapter. A separate chapter lists the additional materials on Western Australian Government which are currently available. The flexible A4 format of the resource has been adopted to allow teachers to photocopy those pages and exercises which they consider useful. For this edition a set of answers has been prepared for each exercise included in the resource. An index has also been prepared for the assistance of educators. An alphabetical tabulation of the terms defined in the resource has also been included in the final chapter. (i) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For the first edition of Second Reading: Parliamentary Democracy in Western Australia (1991), a range of organisations and individuals were recognised for their contributions to the production of the resource. The project was supported financially by the Public Endowment Trust Fund, the Parliament of Western Australia and the Commonwealth Parliament Education Office. In addition, the Ministry of Education (now Department of Education) provided consultative assistance and editorial, design, illustration, typesetting and printing management services through West Ed Media. The electoral maps were reproduced by courtesy of the Western Australian Electoral Commission and originally appeared in the Government Gazette of 29 April 1988. Photographs were generously supplied by the Parliament of Western Australia. Electoral maps have not been included in the revised edition although some other Western Australian Electoral Commission information has been retained or modified. However, as much of the material from the first edition has been retained in the revised edition, acknowledgment of the aforementioned organisations is again recorded. For the first edition the following persons were thanked for their various contributions to the publication of Second Reading. Dr Geoff Gallop, in his capacity as then Minister for Education; Mr Peter McHugh (Clerk of the Legislative Assembly); Mr John Mandy (Clerk Assistant and Sergeant-at-Arms of the Legislative Assembly); Mr Rod Wahl (Clerk Assistant of the Legislative Council); Dr Richard Gilbert and Ms Mirrillee Chignell (Commonwealth Parliament Education Office); Mr Les Smith (Electoral Commissioner for Western Australia); Professor David Black; Mrs Pat Roach and Mrs Catherine Leech (Legislative Assembly Annexe); Ms Kathy Cook and Mr Glen Bennett (Consultants, Curriculum Studies Branch, Ministry of Education); Mrs Jan Phillips (Penrhos College); Mr Rod Lewis (Senior Graphic Designer) and Mr Cam Rielly (Senior Consultant), Curriculum Services Branch, Ministry of Education. Again these persons are recognised for their contributions. For the revised internet edition valuable additional support and advice has been offered by Jane Gray, the Education Officer of the Parliament of Western Australia. Helen Lünsmann, from the Legislative Assembly Committee Office, has also been integrally involved in the preparation of the resource. A sincere vote of appreciation is recorded to both Jane and Helen. Through their respective efforts it has been possible to present an updated version of Second Reading for educators in Western Australia. Special appreciation for the second revised internet edition (2009) is again directed to the Parliamentary Education Office led by Jane Gray, assisted by Deputy James Sollis and Education Officers Cherie Toovey and Michael Loney. Alice Murphy also contributed to the revision. Particular appreciation is afforded to Erin Grace for formatting the text in such a proficient manner. Many thanks Erin. Dr Harry Phillips FACE Parliamentary Fellow (Education) Honorary Professor, Edith Cowan University Adjunct Professor, Curtin University of Technology, November 2009 (ii) 1. Citizens of Western Australia: Government and Politics In 2001, the people of Western Australia (W.A.) joined in the celebration of Australia’s centenary of federation. The population of W.A. at 30 September 2008 was estimated to be 2,188,500 persons. This was nearly ten per cent of the nation’s population which was estimated to be 21,542,500 persons. The geographic area of the State is 2,525,500 square kilometres which covers one third of Australia’s land mass. With many people living in our State, especially in the Perth metropolitan area, you will realise that if we do not have a government to make and carry out laws for our safety, protection, education, health and many other matters, our lives could be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” This claim was made by the famous philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, who lived in the seventeenth century. He believed that people in states needed governments, if they were to survive and enjoy certain rights and freedoms. Over the centuries, many people have written about the need for governments and how systems of government can be improved to build better societies. In Western