
The re-election of the Albanese Government cannot be taken for granted. That is inspite of several credible achievements by Treasurer Chalmers. Recent opinion polls suggest support for the ALP Government is insufficient for even a minority government win. Given the stunning election win by Trump, a similar disaster could happen in Australia.
The approach by the Albanese Government, with the questionable exception of the AUKUS decision, has been extremely cautious. It remains to be seen what the effect will be if this approach is maintained until the election. Many competent observers have commented on the government’s approach as inadequate and basically negative. The dubious environmental stance of the Albanese Government has been mostly disappointing even though nothing better can be expected from a Dutton Government. Albanese has scored positively in foreign policy, but this may not have translated into adequate electoral support. Thus far, the underlying growing dissatisfaction with Australia’s political system does not seem to disappar. It would help if Albanese acknowledged this reality and announced steps to examine possible improvements by suggesting alternatives prior to this year’s election. Thus far, nothing of the kind has been forthcoming.
The importance of flagging awareness of the need for real changes to be tackled in a second Albanese Government is beyond question. Flagging important changes could well add to a successful re-election drive. While internationally the Albanese Government has achieved several positive outcomes, the impact of this on voters seems rather limited. Incomes, prices of food, major housing shortages and inflation are much greater concerns for most and affect their vote more.
Showing awareness that the society has changed dramatically from the colonial Anglo-society (UK and US dependent) to a multicultural, independent country would be a major positive for the present government. This is not really happening. In this respect, the ALP is very much part of the prevailing governance system of conservatism. This goes further: the electoral system in particular is a reflection of that history and of the two principal traditional classes: managers and workers/employees. The Greens also remain grossly under-represented in the lower houses of parliaments. The two-party system proves increasingly unrepresentative, but the still unpublished report from the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters is expected to actually strengthen the major parties. Still, here is a real opportunity to break new ground. What we need is a full-scale examination of the electoral system, not more of the same. Earlier I have recommended in Pearls and Irritations, and in other published articles, that a Proportional System should replace what now passes for a fair and democratic system. Clearly it is not.
Changing the Constitution should no longer be a reluctant piecemeal drama. A bold move here means rewriting the entire Constitution. Some of the 1901 Constitution may still be valuable, but there is a lot missing. Apart from it being colonial in essence, and in spite of additional statements of sovereign independence, this document does not serve modern Australia well. A Republican Constitution should be the logical outcome of renewal. The Brisbane organisation Real Republic Australia’s plan, chaired by David Muir, as well as the Australian Republican Movement‘ s more limited objectives, should be enthusiastically followed up and developed by the Albanese Government. Instead, the sad outcome of the Voice Referendum suggests that constitutional reform has been abandoned. What that Referendum demonstrated was that most people’s knowledge of the existing Constitution is seriously inadequate. Many voters clearly didn’t know! Objective political education in Australia is quite inadequate. There is an extremely important task for the federal government to urgently correct that situation. Apart from addressing this in the established school and university programs, an immediate start could also be made by the ABC.
While the 2025 federal election outcome is difficult to predict, some significant shifts are still possible, possibly even affecting the major parties and resulting in them losing more seats. The Greens may gain a couple of seats, possibly more, the Independents are likely to be returned and could increase their number. Both the major parties are likely to be stuck at around one third of the total seats or even less. This suggests that the Albanese Government will need to come up with significant election winners to be returned to office. The polarised nature of the system does not help.
In addition, the National Party now has to contend with a growing regional, eastern Australia group that is supportive of Green values, the Lock the Gate Alliance. Politically, this represents a split in the conservative NP which has long been in solid coalition with the Liberal Party. One would think that the introduction of Proportional Representation would assist that group in getting their voice heard more clearly and represented in Parliaments. It is currently not a political party.
The Single Member District electoral system needs to be replaced with the much more democratic and fairer Proportional Representation system. The Australian Constitution, now an archaic colonial document, needs to be rewritten and adjusted to serve a modern multicultural democratic society. The new Constitution could establish the Republic at the same time.
These are primary issues the Albanese Government needs to raise now as principal targets prior to the 2025 election.