Rise of the monster acts: growth in legislative complexity in Australia since the 1980s
Australasian Study of Parliament Group (ACT Chapter)
Thursday 13 March 2025, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm (AEDT)

Presenters: Dr Patrick Leslie and Professor Keith Dowding
Venue: Parliamentary Library Conference Room and online via Microsoft Teams
Register now

Using data on enactments, amendments and repeals, Dr Patrick Leslie and Professor Keith Dowding (Australian National University) show that from the 1980s, Australia has seen the emergence of large, complex ‘monster acts’ that are far more likely to receive a disproportionate number of amendments. They provide an illustrative survey of the Australian monster acts, argue their complexity creates problems for public policy at a systemic level, and discuss the implications of complexity in lawmaking for democratic governance.

Presenters

Dr Patrick Leslie is a research fellow and lecturer at the School of Politics and International Relations, ANU. His work focuses on elite political and judicial behaviour and its effects on governance and democratic responsiveness. His work has appeared in several international and Australian academic journals including the American Political Science Review and the Australian Journal of Political Science.

Professor Keith Dowding is a Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Political Philosophy. He arrived at the ANU from the LSE in 2007 where he was Professor of Political Science. He has published widely in political science, public policy and political philosophy.

Booking

This is a free event open to the public (online). Parliamentary pass holders and their guests are encouraged to attend in person. If you wish to participate, please register here. After registering you will be sent a calendar invite.

A recording will be made available on the Parliamentary Library website.

For further information, or if you have any accessibility requirements, contact [email protected] or on 02 6277 2610.

Using Artificial Intelligence in parliament – Dr Fotis Fitsilis,  Parliamentary Library Webinair 22 November 2023

Parliaments across the world are increasingly looking into the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI based applications for performing parliamentary work. Research and discussion on the use of AI in parliaments is still in its early stages.  Dr Fotis Fitsilis (Hellenic Parliament, Greece) will give a brief overview of his work in this area.  He will consider key issues for parliaments considering the use of AI (ethical, legal, security, political) and outline his recent work on guidelines in the parliamentary workspace.

120th Anniversary of the Franchise Act: A Parliamentary Library Symposium, 8 December 2022

An exploration of the origins and changes in Australian franchise and elections.

 

The health of democracy in 2022, Virtual event, 3 March 2022

A discussion on the health of parliamentary democracy in 2022, with special guest speakers, Professor Mark Evans, Dr Marija Taflaga and Professor Mark Kenny, followed by a question and answer session.