Investigation 2
Why did the proposed structure of the Federal Parliament cause concern for New South Wales?
Before the colonies could federate, they had to plan how a national parliament would operate. The structure and powers of the proposed parliament were set out in the Australian Constitution, which was drafted and debated in the 1890s, and had to be accepted by all colonies and by the British Government before Federation could go ahead.
The parliament would be based on the British ‘Westminster’ system, with two houses or chambers. All colonies would elect representatives to both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Laws could only be passed if they were supported by a majority of votes in both houses.
However, the colonies differed greatly in the size of their population. How could the parliament be organised to ensure that each colony’s voting power was appropriate for the number of people?
In the House of Representatives, the answer was relatively simple. Colonies such as New South Wales with large populations would have more representatives (and therefore more votes) than those with small populations. The proposal for the Senate, however, was that each colony, large or small, would have the same number of senators. This was to ensure that each colony would have an equal say, regardless of size. If you had been a New South Wales voter would you have been happy to accept this arrangement?
Your Task
Investigate why some people thought that the proposed Senate was unfair.
Activities
- To build your understanding of how the two chambers of the Parliament of Australia work to turn a bill into a law, go to ‘Kidsview – Parliament in Focus’ on the Parliamentary Education Office website. Click on ‘Law making’ to access ‘Pass the Bill’, then follow the instructions for this online interactive.
- Look at the ‘We want a fair Federation’ poster and the population data for 1899. Discuss the following questions and record your answers.
- Are the creators of this poster in favour of Federation or not? Provide reasons for your thinking.
- Why might this poster focus on voting in the Senate and not the House of Representatives?
- Do you think the diagram would have convinced many voters? Provide reasons for your thinking.
- The creators of the ‘We want a fair Federation’ poster claim that one voter from Tasmania would have the same power as eight voters from New South Wales. Attempt the following and record your answers.
- Examine the population data for 1899 again, and the number of representatives for the House of Representatives and the Senate. Use these figures to work out how they arrived at this claim.
- How could you use the numbers to prove that Federal Parliament would be fair to the people of New South Wales?
- What problems might arise if New South Wales had more representation in the Senate?
- Could this issue have affected progress towards Federation? Provide reasons for your thinking.
- The picture on the ‘We want a fair Federation’ poster demonstrates the representation of voters from each colony in the Senate. Design your own graphics to represent either:
- the proportions in the House of Representatives; or
- how the two chambers create a fair system.