The following speech on parliamentary reform was given by Senator Meg Lees, Leader of the Australian Democrats, to the Sydney Institute.
There are many Australians who believe that our electoral system needs to change.
I am one of them.
The fact is that there are problems with our democracy, and the eve of the Centenary of Federation is an appropriate time to address them. However, in doing so, we should acknowledge, upfront, that in comparison to many other nations, Australia enjoys a healthy, stable and robust democracy.
We can work to make it better, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.