What Australians think of constitutional reform

It is usually thought that, at best, the Australian public has little interest in constitutional reform or, at worst, is profoundly suspicious of it. A key reason for voter reluctance to countenance reform is the poor state of civics education in Australia, which has the consequence that voters are, understandably, fearful of changing what they do not understand. Previous opinion polls that have been conducted on constitutional reform have been of limited value in that they have focused on single issues and have not provided respondents with sufficient background information to enable them properly to evaluate what they are being asked.

This book analyses the results of a representative survey of Australian voters in which respondents were given detailed background information explaining various constitutional reforms. The survey also differs from others in that it sought respondents’ views on a wide range of reforms - relating to the electoral system, a Bill of Rights, the accountability of government to Parliament, federalism and an Australian republic. Its results indicate that, when fully informed, more voters are likely to support constitutional reform than has previously been thought. The book also discusses how best such reforms for which there is widespread support can be achieved.

About the Author

Bede Harris was born in Zimbabwe. After graduating with a BA(Mod) from Trinity College, University of Dublin, he obtained an LLB cum laude from Rhodes University, Grahamstown. He began his academic career at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. He subsequently taught at the University of Waikato in New Zealand, where he obtained his DPhil. He is a Senior Lecturer in Law at Charles Sturt University, and lives in Albury-Wodonga with his wife and daughter.