Platypus and Parliament: The Australian Senate in Theory and Practice
by Stanley Bach

Published by the Department of the Senate, Canberra, 2003

Dr Stanley Bach
For more than 30 years, Dr Stanley Bach worked with and provided advice to Senators and Representatives on the operations of the US Congress. From 1988 to 2002 he held the office of Senior Specialist in the Legislative Process for the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress. He has written extensively on the United States Congress and other legislatures.

Since leaving the Library of Congress, Dr Bach has participated in parliamentary strengthening programs throughout the world. He has worked as a consultant on parliamentary process in Asia, Africa, South America and Eastern Europe. In 2002–2003 he spent six months with the Australian Senate and at the Australian National University under the auspices of the Australian-American Fulbright program.

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Platypus and Parliament: The Australian Senate in Theory and Practice	(PDF 30KB)
Preface	(PDF 37KB)
1. Introduction	(PDF 45KB)
2. The constitutional design	(PDF 157KB)
3. The electoral and party systems	(PDF 167KB)
4. The crisis of 1974–75	(PDF 164KB)
5. Original intent and expectations	(PDF 158KB)
6. Coalitions in the Chamber	(PDF 140KB)
7. Dividing the Senate	(PDF 224KB)
8. The Senate and the House of Representatives	(PDF 162KB)
9. Mandates and reforms	(PDF 215KB)
10. The Senate in the balance	(PDF 184KB)
Bibliography	(PDF 74KB)