Regionalism - A Cure for Federal Ills?
When criticism is made of the operation of the federal system in Australia, the answer often proposed is 'regionalism'. Sometimes what is meant is the introduction of a fourth tier of regional governments, but more often what is proposed is the abolition of State and local governments and the creation instead of a two-tiered system of national and regional governments. A third alternative that has been raised is the creation of a number of new States so that each region becomes a State, as this may be constitutionally easier to achieve than the abolition of the existing states. This article examines these various proposals, assessing whether they are likely to achieve their purported aims and raising the many practical problems that would arise if they were to be implemented. It ends by noting the difficulty in assessing regionalism proposals due to their lack of clarity and detail and concludes that the case for regionalism as an alternative to federalism or as a means of reforming it has not yet been made out.
'Thinking Big: What Will Australian Federalism Be Like in 2020?'
After decades of debate, a new potential consensus has emerged around the scope and process for meaningful reform of Australia's federal system. Signs of this potential can be found in public support for the Rudd government's short-term drive to reform intergovernmental relations, and the prominence of further reform proposals in the Australia 2020 'Ideas Summit' of April 2008. Following the summit theme of 'thinking big', this paper addresses questions regarding the scope of the necessary reform effort, informed by an Australian Research Council-funded constitutional values survey conducted by the author and colleagues in May 2008. This window onto public attitudes reinforces the importance of a reform approach which embraces the medium and long-term development of Australia's system of governance, in addition to short-term improvements, if the reform effort is to productively address deep-seated pressures for change. Large sections of Australia's citizenry are prepared to 'think big' about reform of the federal system by 2020. This paper challenges political leaders, governance experts and opinion-leaders to establish reform processes that maximise this opportunity.
Australia's federal future
This report dispels many common misconceptions about federalism. The authors draw on international comparisons and political and economic analysis to identify a range of benefits that flow from federal systems, including checks and balances on power to protect the individual; more efficient, innovative and responsive governments; and increased economic growth and higher GDP per capita.