Electoral (House of Assembly Casual Vacancies) Amendment Bill | Second Reading
19/11/2014
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: As members are well aware, I am always looking for more efficiencies in this place, so I would like to begin by offering an abridged version of the government’s contribution opposing this bill, and that is: ‘we can’t do it because it is not the way we have always done things.’ The end.
I for one tire of this perspective. I think we do not promote an active democracy by defending the status quo at all costs and we certainly do not achieve good democratic outcomes for the people of this state by doing things just because it is the way we have always done things. Yes, we do need to keep certain traditions, but only when they are effective and achieve effective, productive and positive outcomes for the people of the state. We think it is time to change the tradition in this particular instance and that is why Dignity for Disability will support the bill.
