Over decades, Australians have had their voices and civic powers eroded. Petitions no longer force action from Parliament, with most closed out by a dismissive letter from the relevant minister. Reliance on the Governor-General (a person installed by government) to rein in a government that has gone off the rails is no longer viable. To that end, we will seek laws that add a permanent “Recall Election” power to Australian citizens.
- Establish an official Recall Election petition portal on the Commonwealth e-petitions site (aph.gov.au/e-petitions).
- If a verified petition achieves support from 10% of enrolled voters in at least 90% of federal electorates (currently ~135 of 150) within a set period (suggested 90 days), it triggers a mandatory double dissolution of Parliament.
- The Governor-General must dissolve both Houses within 14 days, leading to a full federal election of both the upper and lower houses.
This gives Australians a direct mechanism to hold governments accountable for gross incompetence or negligence between fixed elections, strengthening democracy without frivolous use.