Parliament in the Twenty-First Century: Institutional Reform and Emerging Roles

In the first half of the twentieth century the power of parliaments around the world declined. More recently a revival has occurred, and parliaments have responded to the challenge with new institutions that strengthen their powers.

Parliament in the Twenty-first Century is an authoritative account of the development of the parliamentary committee system in Australia from 1970 to 2006. Drawing on detailed analysis of hundreds of committee reports, and interviews with members of parliament, the authors explore the implications the system has for both governance and careers of parliamentarians. The authors particularly examine the different roles of House of Representative and Senate committees, and consider the impact of the Howard Government’s control of the Senate since mid 2005.

Parliament in the Twenty-first Century is an invaluable resource for students of Australian parliament and for all those interested in how parliamentary institutions adapt to change.