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HomeResearchPublicationsLessons From The Crucible: Options For Parliamentary Representation, Accountability and Trust From Power Sharing Situations
Lessons from the crucible: Options for parliamentary representation, accountability and trust from power sharing situations
Lessons from the crucible cover page
Author/editor: Professor Brenton Prosser (UNSW) and Professor Nicholas Biddle (ANU)
Year published: 2025

Abstract

Australia has a long tradition of democratic innovation, with its political institutions evolving alongside shifting social, technological, environmental, and geopolitical conditions. Yet like many peer democracies, Australia is experiencing declining support for major parties, rising electoral success for independents and minor parties, and increasing public concern about the responsiveness of its democratic institutions. Unlike many European systems designed to accommodate multiparty governance, Westminster-derived systems such as Australia’s remain structurally oriented toward majority rule—creating challenges when voter preferences no longer align with this model. 

This paper examines the implications of these shifts, including recent federal election trends, emerging public attitudes towards minority governments, and historical examples of parliamentary adaptation. It explores how institutional conventions—such as assumptions around executive dominance, majoritarian legitimacy, and the centrality of ministers in policy processes—may need to evolve to maintain trust, responsiveness, and representativeness. Drawing on both domestic and international examples, it considers what can be learned from minority and multi-party governance, and identifies potential adaptations in parliamentary procedure, accountability mechanisms, and public administration.

While opportunities for innovation are evident, so too are risks—including political instability, unclear mandates, and heightened complexity for public policy delivery. These dynamics raise critical questions for future research: How can systems not designed for power-sharing adapt if there are shifting electoral preferences? What institutional reforms can improve legitimacy without sacrificing effectiveness? And how can trust in democratic institutions be rebuilt when the pathways of representation are increasingly diverse?

This paper aims to prompt further research and dialogue across disciplines on how institutional design and democratic practice can evolve to reflect the pluralism of contemporary Australia— strengthening the resilience of its democracy in the decades ahead.

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