Second Thoughts – Recall Elections for Members of Parliament
68 Pages Posted: 5 Sep 2011
Date Written: September 5, 2011
Abstract
The use of ‘recall elections’ has recently been proposed in both Australia and the United Kingdom, in different contexts. The UK proposal concerns the recall of Members of Parliament in cases of proved wrongdoing. The Australian proposal, in the State of New South Wales, is for citizens to recall the Parliament by petitioning for an early election. In both cases, reference has been made to the experience of recall in other jurisdictions. This report analyses comparative experience of recall in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Venezuela and Japan and considers how the lessons from these countries could be applied in the Australian context.
Keywords: elections, recall, fixed term Parliaments, direct, democracy, citizens' initiated referenda, campaign funding, corruption, term of office, early elections
JEL Classification: K10, K30
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation