new approaches, new institutions? a national symposium federalism & regionalism in australia

New Approaches, New Institutions?

A National Symposium

Federalism & Regionalism in Australia


Session 1:Legitimacy of Federal & Regional Institutions

Session 2: EffectivenessRegional Drivers for Governance Reform

Session 3: Efficiency and EconomyIn Federal and Regional Governance

Session 4: Outcomes & ActionsPriorities for Research and Reform

Drinks & Launch‘Reform of Australia’s federal system: identifying the benefits’

A discussion paper – NSW Farmers Association


The beginning & end…

Institutional reform and restructuring is neededfor Australian federal governance – including state, regional and local governance – to become adequately legitimate, effective and efficient in themedium- to long-term.

What is ‘adequacy’? What types of reform? What sequencing, or path of reform? What research is needed to inform that path?


Session 1:Legitimacy of Federal & Regional Institutions

Dr A J Brown - The Federalism Project, Griffith UniversityFederalism and regionalism in Australian political life

Assoc Professor Ian Gray - Centre for Rural Social Research, Charles Sturt University The political viability of federal reform: a sociological analysis

Mal Peters - Immediate Past President, NSW Farmers’ AssociationTowards a wider debate on federal & regional governance


Federalism & Regionalismin Australian political life

Dr A J BrownThe Federalism Project, Griffith University

www.griffith.edu.au/federalism


Federalism & regionalism are fundamentally intertwined in the theory & practice of governance

Federalism: “… a system of government in which authority is constitutionally divided between central and regional governments.”

James Gillespie, "New federalisms" in Developments in Australian Politics, J. Brett, J. Gillespie & M. Goot (eds) (1994), pp.60-87; Blackshield & Williams (2004), p.241 .

Five key facts about the place of regionalism in Australian federalism

Five key lessons from constitutional & political theory & practice, for 21st century reform & restructuring


1. Australian federalism is unusually centralised – both financially, & politically


2. Australian federalism has been historically over-dependent on institutions with weak (e.g. indirect) political legitimacy

Bureacracy

Commissions & statutory authorities

‘Quangos’ & NGOs

‘Regionalisation’ rather than recognising ‘regionalism’


3. Australian federalism would be institutionally different if federal founders’ beliefs had come to pass

Federation – revival of British colonial subdivision principle, in form of US-style ‘new state’ movements

Benjamin Franklin (1754): ‘commonwealth for increase’

Henry Parkes (1890): ‘commonwealth… great and growing’.


6 5

4 3

2

1

10

9 8

7

11

12

13

24

20

2221

18

25

15

23

1617

19

14

LouisianaPurchase(France)1803

Spanish Treaty 1819

Atlantic Ocean

Shadings show the territory claimed by each colony at 1776 (now 13 original plus 12 new states).

Bold borders show 13 Original United States as they exist today.

How 13 Original U.S. Colonies are now 25 states

(plus 25 more from federal acquisition of territory)

Article 4,U.S. Constitution 1787 –

Chapter 6, Australian Constitution 1901.


4. Australian federalism would be institutionally different given a better culture of constitutional bipartisanship

1920s – how to fix federalism? Peden Commission.

ALP & Country Party ‘new state’ reforms;

Popular, pro-British & ALP ‘unification’.


Australian new state movements (Prescott 1987)


ALP1920


4. Australian federalism would be institutionally different given a better culture of constitutional bipartisanship

1920s – how to fix federalism? Peden Commission.

ALP & Country Party ‘new state’ reforms;

Popular, pro-British & ALP ‘unification’.

1950s – constitutional review committee.

1970s – regional policy vs. states’ rights.

1990s – well… look at the republic….


5. Australian federalism is not static,not a ‘frozen continent’ – enormous past and current change in spatial dynamics

• Growth in federal power, influence, financial control• Growth in local government… new reforms (IGCS)• Regional governance… esp. sustainability• Already an emerging ‘fourth tier’?• New intergovernmental collaboration• States dealing others in, themselves out?


Key lessons

1. The 21st century political landscape looks different for institutional reform

• No ‘rural fascists’ versus ‘urban communists’• No major political party constitutional platforms• Bipartisanship on ‘new regionalism’ (however weak)• States fully engaged in reform processes• No more Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersens• New ‘year zero’, capacity for thought-out reform.


2. We must continue to recognisewe have under-valued ‘general purpose’ government at local & regional levels, as a governance strategy

Not much scope for real change unless we continue to more comprehensively revisit role and place of local government, relationship between local government and new regional institutions… etc etc.


3. Newer policy focus on ‘governancenot government’ leaves Australia in a unique and difficult position

When you have no robust local/regional governments, withdrawal of government (or delegation by government to business / community) from social and economic intervention leaves… what? Limited programs with:

- Questionable resources & efficiency- Questionable policy capacity & effectiveness- Questionable political legitimacy.


4. We need to better align short, medium and long-term ideas about reform

• Constitutional change requires consensus, and consensus will only follow an emerging proven reality.

• But constitutional theory & ultimately change is important when rebuilding & restructuring major policy areas, and dealing in & with ‘general purpose’ governments… see I.R.

• Are short-term, informal, collaboration responses really likely to obviate the need for longer-term structural change… or do they in fact increase it?


5. We can and should turn current unproductive debates (‘whinges’) about federalism into more productive ones

For the sake of:

-- Political attitudes/legitimacy – community cohesion, trust, engagement, effort;

-- Sustainability - policy capacity and effectiveness;

-- Efficiency, economy, competitiveness, productivity.

Based on quality information, evaluation, deliberation.

new approaches, new institutions? a national symposium federalism & regionalism in australia

Documents

australian federalism

federalism project

australia slide

recognising regionalism

griffith university

place of regionalism

australian federal governance

australia session