A REPORT into Tasmania’s political and economic system by former Fraser government minister Peter Nixon points excessive over-government as a key reason for the state’s dismal economic performance. It is a pertinent point. Tasmania has a Lower House of 35 members and an Upper House of 19, that is 54 politicians for a population of 500,000. Tasmania has 11.42 politicians per 100,000 people. The ACT has less than half that.
Mr Nixon said government attempts at reform were constantly being frustrated by the Upper House.
He recommended that Tasmania have a single house of Parliament of 27 seats. There is merit in this. But Tasmania should be careful that in embracing necessary reform it does not go too far the other way. There is danger in having a system that gives too much power to the executive. Queensland’s single-house system combined with single-member electorates delivered excessive power to the National Party in the 1980s. Inevitably, the power was abused. Executives should be checked by the legislature and the judiciary to make them accountable.
If Tasmania is to take away its Upper House it should retain proportional representation in the Lower House. Or if it is to reduce the size of the Lower House and move to single-member seats, it should retain the Upper House as a check. This option, though, is less desirable than the former.
Mr Nixon, of course, pointed to other factors causing Tasmania’s economic woes, particularly the isolation caused by Bass Strait. He cited not only trade difficulties but things like the lack of pop group tours causing young people to leave.
Tasmania must have help from the rest of Australia on this, but first it must get its own House(s) in order.