|
South
Australia may introduce Citizens Initiated Referenda (CIR)
Join the Debate - the ‘Freedom Proposals’ and the ‘Money
Solution’
Email to: cir@freedomsolution.info
PETER LEWIS’
COMPACT FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT
The aim of this Compact is to provide for stable, open and accountable
government, which works productively for the people of South Australia.
I am determined to maintain my Independent status.I will not
become a formal part of any government.However I agree that to provide
stability I will vote with the government on Appropriation and supply bills
All motions of No Confidence unless there is evidence of
fraud, mismanagement, misuse of public finance, misappropriation, illegal
activities or breach or non-performance of any of the other terms and
provisions of this Compact.
I will not support any government, and will remove my support
from a government which:-
Demonstrates mismanagement or misuse of public finances
Is shown to be corrupt, or which supports any practices which are corrupt
or which violates accepted standards of public probity.
Abuses the spirit of democratic parliamentary practice and procedure.
The Government undertakes that should it lose the
confidence of the House of Assembly the Premier will not advise the Governor
that an election should be held if an alternative government can be formed which
has the support of the House of Assembly.
I am willing to support a Government, which publicly
undertakes to:
(1) Promote
open and accountable government
(2) Improve
the democratic operation of Parliament
(3) Establish
clear plans, strategies and targets to address the urgent needs of rural
South
Australia
(4) Co-operate
meaningfullywith Independent Members.
(5) Improve
codes of conduct for Ministersand all other Members of Parliament.
Promoting
open and accountable government
This can be demonstrated by The Government undertaking to,
within the next sittings of Parliament:
1.1 Accept
that future appointments to the position of Auditor-General will be ratified
by
committee of the Legislative Council specifically constituted for that
purpose.
1.2 Rebuild
Freedom of Information (FOI)legislation to give full and proper access to
government documents by:
(a) Reducing
the restrictions on access to documents on the grounds of “cabinet
confidentiality”
(b) Removing
restrictions based on “commercial confidentiality” (to the extent of the
New Zealand Act).
(c) Removing
obstructions such as excessive cost claims and appeals against
document release
(d) Reducing
the delay between a request for and the provision of documents.
(e) Adhere
to the spirit of FOI legislation and its underlying principles.
1.3 Ensure
that budget documents are properly comparable from one year to the next, by
including parallel information in both formats where a format change is
deemed desirable.
1.4 Initiate
such changes to the law as may be necessary to enable the Auditor-General,
the Ombudsman and the Employee Ombudsman to initiate enquiries which they
deem to be in the public interest and which are separate from any direction from
Parliament and Government , where such enquiries are otherwise authorised by
their enabling Acts at present and undertake to table reports made by such
officers immediately upon their receipt.
2. Improving
the democratic operation of Parliament
The Government undertaking to, within six months of the
commencement of the 50th Parliament;
2.1 Facilitate
Constitutional and Parliamentary reform by establishing a South Australian
Constitutional Convention to conduct areview of the Constitution and Parliament
and to report to Parliament by 30th June 2003 on the issues set
out in the Annexure hereto including:-
Citizens Initiated Referenda
Reducing the number of Parliamentarians
Constituting the Legislative Council as a House of Review
Ensuring the independence of certain public offices
2.2 Amend Standing Orders to
require that secret ballots be undertaken for the election
of all Officers
of the Parliament which are currently elected from those Members of
Parliament such
that each Member shall be called forward by name separatelyby
the Clerk (in the
case of Government Members) or the Clerk Assistant (in the case
of Opposition
Members) or by either of them in the case of Members from the
cross-bench to be
given their ballot paper and to mark their ballot paperat the
Table of the
Houseusing a method which satisfies the Clerk and Clerk Assistant
respectively that
no other Member has seen the way the ballot paper was marked
by that Member before it is cast in the ballot box.
2.3 Establish a separate
Appropriation Bill prepared by the Joint Parliamentary Services
Committee
and presented to the House of Assembly by the Speaker and be given
assent as an Act of Parliament before the introduction of the Budget
Appropriations
Bill.
2.4 To
have a minimum number of sitting days of 69 per year.
2.5 Revise
Standing Orders of parliament to allow for:
(a) a
requirement that Ministers actually answer questions during question
time, or if practically unable to do so then within six (6) sitting days
of the question
being asked.
(b) non-government
members to have the opportunity to ask a minimum of 10
questions per Question Time and that Question Time be extended to allow
for this.
3. Establishing clear plans,
strategies and targets to address the
urgent needs
of Rural South Australia
This can be demonstrated by the Government making
commitments, throughout the life of this Parliament continue to:
3.1 Improve
the relationship and consultative mechanisms between State government and
local Councils and communities.
3.2 Improved
rural and regional employment opportunities.
3.2 Improve
rural infrastructure such as roads, rail, water, power and gas.
3.4 Improve
and extend Rural health, education, police, emergency, environment and
human services.
I REQUIRE THAT THE GOVERNING PARTY WILL DO ALL SUCH THINGS
AND PERMIT ALL SUCH THINGS TO BE DONE TO ENSURE THAT THE REASONABLE
EXPECTATIONS AIMS AND PRINCIPLES SET OUT HEREINCOME TO FRUITION.
In conclusion, I will maintain my right to vote on all
legislation according to the needs of my Electorate and my conscience.
ANNEXURE
TO COMPACT
ELEMENTS OF THE REFORM OF THE INSTITUTION OF PARLIAMENT
To pass an Act of Parliament and make such other
arrangements as deemed necessary by the Speaker to meet such costs and
facilitating such processes as may be involved in any aspects of the work
related to the establishment of a Constitutional Convention which shall:
Advise on a responsible form of Citizen Initiated Referenda
and on the mechanism by which such a proposal can be implemented.
Consider the legislative and Constitutional changes and
mechanisms necessary to:-
2.1locate all Ministers in the Lower House.
2.2
move all Parliamentary Committees (with the exception of the JointParliamentary
Services
Committee) from the House of Assembly to the Legislative Council.
2.3 reduce the number of Members of Parliament in both Houses
to 35 in the
House of Assembly and 17 in the Legislative Council or such other number
as the Convention determines is desirable.
2.4 remove all members of political parties from the
Legislative Council as of
the general election of March 2010 by requiring that no candidate seeking
election to the Legislative Council as and from the next election may be a
member of any political party registered with either Electoral Commission
for
the purpose of the provisions of the Electoral Act of either State or
Federal
Parliament.
3. Consider
the desirability of and make recommendations on:
3.1 changing
the electoral system of the Legislative Council such that five members shall
be elected at large at each general election and retire at the end of each
term; and twelve members (in each ofsix regional seats) to be comprised for
convenience in the first instance of two House ofRepresentative seats for two
terms (8 years) one such Member from each Electorate being elected at each
general election;
3.2 a
requirement that the President of the Council and the Presiding Members of
each of the Parliamentary Committees shall be elected by the Legislative
Council in session from those five members elected at large.
3.3 providing
that the Auditor-General, the Ombudsman, the Employee
Ombudsman, and the Police Commissioner should report to the Parliament as
officers acting in the public interest, not underpolitical control of a
Minister,to the President of the Legislative Council and that the
appointment
of all these officers of the Parliamentshall be reviewedand ratified by a
committee elected by the Legislative Council for the purpose of doing so,
instance by instance in order to secure independence from political
interference.
3.4 establishing
a convocation of Members of Parliament and Mayors of
all Local Government bodies for the purposeof recommending to the
Premier a person who should be appointed Governor.
NEXT: The Guardian
negative view
[Home
l Site Map l CIR Map]
Last updated August 12, 2002
|