[plug] [OT] Ferral Politics

[Bret Busby]

On Tue, 30 Oct 2001, Ben Jensz wrote:

> 
> One other interesting thing that not many people have realised, is that if
> the ALP get in to federal government, then I think they have state level
> government in almost all of the states, which means changing the
> constitution could be achieved quite easily.  You only need the support of
> the states, not the territories in changing the constitution.  Whether they
> would do anything with that power, and whether that'd be a good thing or a
> bad thing would have to be seen.
> 

Be careful how you interpret that above; to change the feral constitution,
requires a vote for a proposed change, to be passed by a majority (I
believe two thirds, or, a similar fixed number) of the states, and, by a
majority of all of the votersin the federation, both of those counts in a
referendum. 

Nothing to do with governments of states/territories.

Supposedly, if a feral parliament was so inclined, it could create a
referendum that abolished the states and terrories, and, if passed in a
referendum, could cause the "carpet to be pulled out from under the feet
of" the states and territories, so abolishing the state and territory
parliaments, without the state and territory governments having any
say. (Well, that is my understanding, anyway)

Oh, wooden that be luvverly...

-- 
Bret Busby
..........