Minority govt woes wash over ACT

THE demonisation of minority government at a federal level could have played a part in the ACT election result, analysts say.

The eighth ACT Legislative Assembly will sit for the first time on Tuesday, with eight Labor members, eight Liberals and one Green.

Both major parties won more seats than they held in the previous assembly and each had a swing towards it in the primary votes - the Liberals winning an extra 7.3 per cent and Labor gaining 1.5 per cent.

By contrast, there was a backlash against the Greens, independent candidates and other minor parties including the Australian Motorist Party.

Australian National University political analyst John Warhurst said while there were several reasons for the swing towards the major parties, negative commentary about the hung federal parliament was a factor.

"The disenchantment with minority government may have played a part," Professor Warhurst told AAP.

"Of course, we've still got a minority government (in the ACT) so it didn't fix that."

The territory has only had one majority government in its 23-year history of self-government, the Jon Stanhope-led Labor team winning nine seats in 2004.

But that government was rebuffed in 2008, with voters reducing the ALP to seven of the 17 seats in the assembly.

"I think there was a feeling then that majority government was on the nose and people were looking for a balance of power situation again," Prof Warhurst said.

Until 2010, there hadn't been a minority government at a federal level since the ACT was given self-government.

The sole Greens representative in the new Assembly, Shane Rattenbury, said the ACT had a history of stable minority governments.

"Somewhat frustratingly I think that the perceptions about the instability of the federal parliament have washed over into the ACT," he told AAP.

Mr Rattenbury said the previous assembly makeup had been productive, with all three parties able to put legislation forward and have it supported through the parliament.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Minority govt woes wash over ACT

Dengan url

http://suarabisikan.blogspot.com/2012/11/minority-govt-woes-wash-over-act.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Minority govt woes wash over ACT

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Minority govt woes wash over ACT

sebagai sumbernya