The federal election of 2010 produced the first hung parliament
since 1940. The Gillard Labor Government retained power by the
smallest possible majority with the support of three independents
and the Australian Greens. To secure a governing coalition, the
Australian Labor Party committed to a series of wide-ranging
parliamentary reforms with the Australian Greens and the Coalition
including new procedures for Question Time in the House of
Representatives, enhancing the authority of the Speaker,
strengthening the role of committees, increasing the prominence of
private members’ business and establishing a Parliamentary
Budget Office and Parliamentary Integrity Commissioner.
Key challenges before this unique parliament will include
implementing those reforms, making them work and dealing with their
likely consequences, while continuing to address important national
legislative and policy issues. Such issues include climate change,
population pressures, regional development, economic prosperity,
reforming social services and meeting environmental and energy
needs. At this stage it appears that the proposed procedures will
enable backbenchers and committees to play a greater role in
shaping the agenda of the parliament. This might mean that an even
greater variety of issues will be brought before the new
parliament.
This Briefing Book has been written to assist senators and
members to prepare for significant issues that are expected to
arise in the early months of the 43rd Parliament. It presents a brief introduction
to areas of key public policy concern, outlines the context for
those concerns and discusses possible new policy and legislative
directions.
The issues are presented in summary form. Senators and members
are encouraged to contact the Parliamentary Library researchers
identified against each contribution for further assistance with
confidential oral or written briefing, analysis or information. In
addition, individual senators and members can request research on
any parliamentary and policy issue by contacting the Parliamentary
Library. Requests can be made through:
- the Library’s Central Enquiry Point
(extension 2500), or
- the contacts in the Parliamentary
Library’s online Guide to Services at
http://library.
The Briefing Book is available in hard copy to senators and
members. It is also available online through the Senators’
and Members’ Services Portal, the Parliamentary
Library’s intranet and the Parliament’s web site. For
copyright reasons, some of the linked sources in the electronic
version of the document may not be accessible through the
Internet.
I am confident that the Briefing Book will be a valuable
resource for all senators and members. I and all my staff look
forward to supporting the work of the 43rd Parliament throughout its term.
Roxanne Missingham
Parliamentary Librarian
16 September 2010