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U4AOS2 - Coggle Diagram

- - - - STRENGTHS OF LOWER HOUSE
        1) Private member bills tend to be more heavily debated as they’re introduced from non-government members.
        2) Minority government ensures thorough discussion and debate of bills.
        STRENGTHS OF UPPER HOUSE
        1) A hostile upper house can ensure bills are carefully scrutinised.
        2) Having a crossbench that holds the balance of power can increase the range of interests considered and consulted in law-making.
      - WEAKNESSES OF LOWER HOUSE
        1) With a majority government there’s a possibility that bills aren’t debated adequately.
        2) Government can reject private member bills without debate.
        3) A minority government can be forced to alter its legislative program to gain support of the crossbench.
        WEAKNESSES OF UPPER HOUSE
        1) Government with a majority in the upper house may result in bills being passed with less scrutiny (rubber stamp).
        2) A hostile upper house can slow down the law-making process by blocking bills or forcing amendments.
    - - STRENGTHS
        1) This gives both houses the opportunity to check the bill and suggest amendments.
        2) Allows for debate, which is important as flaw/mistakes can be resolved, and a wide range of views can be considered
        3) Parliament is able to change laws quickly, if necessary, particularly if the government has a majority in both houses of parliament.
        4) In Victoria, a compatibility statement is provided to ensure the bill is compatible with the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic).
      - WEAKNESSES
        1) To pass bills through both houses can make the law process slow.
        2) Parliament only sits for a limited number of days each year, and laws must be made during this sitting time. So, law making is restricted due to these time pressures.
        3) Parliament is restricted by the fact it can only pass the laws presented to it.
    - - STRENGTHS
        1) The members bring in different backgrounds, values, viewpoints and abilities. These wide-ranging abilities result in greater knowledge base, that results in better quality decisions.
        2) A committee recommendation is much more likely to be accepted than an individual recommendation, as there is community input.
      - WEAKNESSES
        1) The very structure of the committee is a costly affair in terms of money and time.
        2) Certain issues are better solved by individuals rather than committees, especially if there is a lack of initiative.
  - - - STRENGTHS
        1) Parliament is elected by the people and can make laws that reflect the views and values of the community.
        2) Individuals and the community as a whole can force the government to carefully consider the merits and disadvantages of proposed law reform.
      - WEAKNESSES
        1) Government may “support” popular law reform in an attempt to win voters, rather than doing what is best for the community.
        2) Government may be reluctant to initiate laws in areas where there is significant opposition from minority groups.
        3) The view of the majority in regard to particularly controversial issues can make law reform difficult.
    - - STRENGTHS
        1) A government that does not represent the people can be voted out of office.
        2) Fixed terms give the government a set period in which to conduct their proposed changes.
        3) Compulsory voting ensures that the government has support from the majority of the nation, not just a majority of invested voters.
      - WEAKNESSES
        1) Fixed terms can make the government reluctant to introduce long-term reforms (particularly in the case of federal terms).
        2) Compulsory voting also forces those who are not interested in voting to cast a vote that may not have been well-informed.
        3) The government can change the date of an election to suit themselves, such as when opinion polls show support for the government or when the political climate is in their favour.
  - - - STRENGTHS OF DOMESTIC PRESSURES
        1) The fact the government is elected by the people and there are regular elections to keep them accountable, enables the views of the people to be heard when the government drafts legislation and enacts policy.
        2) This representative democracy is the bedrock of our system which places value and power to the people.
        STRENGTHS OF INTERNAL PRESSURES
        1) Voting on party lines ensures predictability and certainty in the way a political party makes decisions about the public, policies and enacting legislation.
        2) This means that legislation can be enacted quickly without some members crossing the floor or allowing a conscience vote which could delay proceedings.
        3) This is especially true for when parliament needs to pass emergency legislations in order to ensure public safety.
        STRENGTHS OF INTERNATIONAL PRESSURES
        1) Being a signatory or having ratified an international treaty makes the Australian government accountable to adhere to these agreements in order to preserve their reputation on the international stage.
        2) The pressure Australian government faces from the United Nations, especially in relation to the inhumane detention on asylum seekers forces the government rethink their policies in order to be compliant.
      - WEAKNESSES OF DOMESTIC PRESSURES
        1) The government is elected to represent the majority. This means that minority groups can be marginalised and not have their interests met in parliament.
        2) Minority groups may have real issues that need to be dealt with but the government may not want to act on these as they may not be popular, which could see the government likelihood of re-election reduced.
        WEAKNESSES OF INTERNAL PRESSURES
        1) Denying the right of members of a political party to a conscience vote and forcing them to cross the floor if they disagree with party’s ideas diminishes the principle of representative government.
        By not respecting the values and opinions of their own political party member, they are also not representing the interests of the electorate who voted for that member.
        WEAKNESSES OF INTERNATIONAL PRESSURES
        1) However, the pressures from International countries, may limit the ability of parliament to make laws, as Parliament may refuse to make certain laws in accordance to the international parties’ pressure.
        2) Although this may protect Australia, it simultaneously diminishes the relationship we have with certain countries.
  - - - STRENGTHS
        1) Ensures parliaments can only legislate within their power.
        2) Allows individuals and groups to challenge legislation potentially made beyond the power of a parliament.
        3) The High Court can declare law to be made ultra vires.
      - WEAKNESSES
        1) The High Court must wait for a dispute to be brought before the court before making a ruling.
        2) Challenging legislation is expensive, time consuming and has no guarantee of success.
        3) The Commonwealth can influence the state legislation through tied grants.
        4) The wording of the Constitution can only be altered to change the Commonwealth’s law-making powers by a referendum.