First make a train wreck of the Australian Constitution and democratic processes……
But if the Senate proves intransigent, the Government could increase the stakes by including amendments to the Electoral Act as part of a double dissolution trigger.
A parliamentary secretary, Mr Tony Abbott, who is close to the Prime Minister, has weighed into the debate by floating two radical options to curb the power of minor parties.
The first involves expanding the size of the Parliament, making it easier for the main parties to win a majority of Senate seats in each State, thereby diminishing the ability of the minor players to affect the outcome of votes on legislation.
The second option would divide each State into two Senate constituencies, with minor parties having to achieve a much higher quota of votes to get elected.
While conceding there are drawbacks with both, Mr Abbott said the options would give the Government a handy weapon to threaten the Senate if the Upper House refused to acknowledge the Government's election mandate. [The Sydney Morning Herald, 7 August 1996, “Senate voting rethink to curb minor parties”]
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