General resources
These resources are listed in alphabetical order by author
Anderson G (2008). Federalism: An Introduction. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press.
George Anderson, President and CEO, Forum of Federations, has produced this introduction to federalism written primarily for practitioners of government—politicians, government officials, journalists, members of non-governmental and international organisations and concerned citizens—who have a practical interest in federalism.
Beattie P (2008). A vision beyond the blame game.
Griffith Review, (19) Autumn: 38-42.
Former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie argues that despite calls to abolish the states, any such referendum is unlikely to succeed in the next 50 years:
If the current status of the federation is going to be in place for a majority of this century, then it is time for a National Constitutional Convention to realign the federation to clearly define the roles of both the Commonwealth and the States.
Bennett S, Webb R (2007). Chronology of Australian Federalism.
Parliament of Australia: Parliamentary Library. Link to HTML
Extract:
The Australian federal system, established in 1901, is one of the oldest functioning federal systems in the world. It grew out of a political culture in which separate colonies operated as independent units and was an integral part of the Federation deal between the colonies. However, in recent years the system has come under increasing criticism as being outdated and indeed harmful to Australia's future. This chronology traces the main points in our federal system’s story.
Includes an appendix of Parliamentary Papers on Federalism.
Carney, G (2006). Australian federalism: crunch time?
Brief, 33 (6): 5-6.
Abstract
Australian federalism is under serious threat, with a Commonwealth government intent on exercising the full scope of Commonwealth power. That power may have been there for some time, but the political will to exercise it has been absent. With a majority in both Houses, all is aligned for a potentially deadly attack against what remains of the Federal system.
From the official journal of the Law Society of Western Australia
Fenna A (2007). The malaise of federalism: comparative reflections on Commonwealth-State relations.
Australian Journal of Public Administration, 66 (3): 298-306.
Hollander R, Patapan H (2007). Pragmatic federalism: Australian federalism from Hawke to Howard.
Australian Journal of Public Administration, 66 (3): 280-297.
Abstract:
The article explores the nature of Australian federalism by examining four major themes in the period from Hawke to Howard… Australian conceptions of federalism; the role of party in shaping federalism; the way problems and politics have influenced policy-making and thereby federalism; and the nature of federal judicial review.
Painter M (2001). Multi-level governance and the emergence of collaborative federal institutions in Australia.
Policy and Politics 29(2): 137-150.
Abstract:
This article examines changes in political-administrative relationships in the intergovernmental arenas of the Australian federal political system… and some of the main problem areas for the conduct of effective problem solving … Changes in some of these structural elements are considered to be a result of greater entanglement and closer collaboration between state and commonwealth governments, and three possible explanatory models for understanding the changes are considered… set in a context of wider administrative reforms in the constituent state and commonwealth governments... The article concludes with a review of the explanatory power of the models of change, and a brief comment on the evolving character of multi-level governance in the federation.
Twomey A (2008). Federalism in Australia: Gazing in the crystal ball of constitutional reform.
Paper presented at The Future of Federalism (International Conference): Brisbane, 10-12 July.
Introduction
To predict what types of constitutional reforms might be pursued by the Rudd Government, one must look back to the matters that it flagged in the election campaign and those that emerged from the 2020 Summit as government interests.
These areas of potential reform are:
- electoral reform
- recognition of local government
- recognition of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in the Constitution
- human rights
- a republic
- a Commonwealth takeover of hospitals
- the allocation of powers and functions to different levels of government
- cooperative federalism.
All of these areas of possible reform have at least some potential to affect the operation of the federal system and the current balance of powers and functions between the Commonwealth and the States.