citizens' initiated referenda

Getting rid of the party system and introducing referendums to Australia

Mon, 2014-03-03 12:12 — Jenny Warfe

I’m all for starting a conversation about getting rid of the party system and introducing referendums. The recent independents in Federal Parliament in my view acquitted themselves very well, despite constant attacks from many of their parliamentary colleagues. Most politicians however have made themselves increasingly inaccessible and impervious to their constituents’ views – they are now mostly irrelevant to most of us most of the time and we to them.

Topic:

citizens' initiated referenda

referendum

swiss democracy

Australian political party system

Australia's unrepresentative system

Floridians to vote on urban development veto

Tue, 2010-01-12 12:30 — admin

In November 2010 Floridians will vote on an amendment to allow affected citizens to vote on proposals for urban development. Such a constitional amendment is desperately needed in Australia, particularly in Queensland, NSW and Victoria, where Governments in the pockets of developers habitually over-ride the objections of local governments and local communities to new urban developments.

This letter was published on 9 Jan 10 on the web site of Florida Hometown Democracy
See also: Florida Hometown Democracy's Amendment 4: A battle for the remains of Florida. of 12 Dec 09 in eyeonmiami.blogspot.com. Floridians for a Sustainable Population.

Topic:

population

democracy

property development

citizens' initiated referenda

Internet censorship, Citizens Initiated Referenda and the Greens - an open letter

Wed, 2009-12-23 15:58 — James Sinnamon

James Sinnamon, an independent candidate for the seat of Brisbane in the forthcoming 2010 Federal elections asks Senator Bob Brown and members of the Greens Party to pledge to introduce into our Federal Parliament bills for Binding Citizens Initiated Referenda, Swiss-style.

Topic:

democracy

The Greens

citizens' initiated referenda

Australian elections

Independent Candidate

compulsory internet filtering

Interview with the President of Citizens Initiated Referenda (CIR) Australia

Mon, 2009-09-14 08:48 — admin

Ron Ewins, President of Citizens' Initiated Referenda Australia (CIR Australia) explains in an interview published in Summer 2008/09 issue of the Independent Australian magazine how CIR's can enable citizens to take back from politicians, now almost completely beyond their control outside of election time, the right to have the final say over decisions which affect their daily lives. In the course of the interview David Astin puts to Ewins the common objections to the adoption of CIR's and these are addressed.

See also: "A New look at Citizens' Initiated Referenda in Australia and elsewhere" of 3 Sep 09. This article was originally posted as a comment to that article.

Topic:

citizens' initiated referenda

A New look at Citizens' Initiated Referenda in Australia & elsewhere

Thu, 2009-09-03 12:36 — Sheila Newman

Many ordinary people and committed activists are despairing of parliamentary democracy in its current form but say “What else can we do?” So many things just happen without us feeling that we have had any say at all or that our concerns have been completely ignored. Many of our friends are deeply disheartened. We say the community can no longer rely on our elected representatives to make objective and reasonable decisions on our behalf and we have to do something different. (This is not about the “People’s Mandate” idea, which aims to collect signatures from over 50% of eligible persons to then invoke powers which have purportedly existed since Magna Carta. Blue Wedges sought legal opinion on the People’s Mandate and were advised, by the now President of the Court of Appeal that the People’s Mandate has no legal standing)