CEFA's Constitutional Forum

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The Australian Parliament holds an original copy of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900.

In the 2019 April 2 Budget the Prime Minister stated that Australians would get a tax cut this financial year. For many people this was to be a tax offset of $1080.

There are two things that many people believe stabilises the political system in Australia when we go to vote. These are compulsory voting and our preferential voting system. We’ve had preferential voting federally since 1918, and many of us view it as quite normal.

A new Governor was sworn in for New South Wales yesterday. Margaret Beazley takes over the role after former Governor David Hurley agreed to become our next Commonwealth Governor-General.

Governor Beazley stated in her swearing-in address:

Earlier this week the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced that Centennial Park in Sydney will be heritage listed. It will be the 115th protected site in Australia.

CEFA is delighted the Australian Constitution Centre opened on 9 April 2018 at the High Court, Canberra.

This week Greens Senator Jordan Steele-John announced that he will introduce a Private Members Bill in the Senate seeking to lower the age of voters for federal elections to 16.

The timing of elections is stipulated in our Constitution. Section 13 of the Constitution states that Senate elections must be held within one year of the places becoming vacant.

The Scanlon Foundation’s Mapping Social Cohesion 2017 report was released this week. It shows an alarming ambivalence to democracy and our government. The percentage of Australians who ‘almost always’ or ‘most of the time’ trust our government in Canberra is only 29%.