Democratic Alternative Information Service:
  Ross Garrad: Policies

Electing a "People's President":
A specific proposal

Eligibility:

A candidate for the Presidency of the Commonwealth of Australia

• must meet the normal requirements for election to Federal Parliament,
• must not have been a member of any political party during the twelve months preceding the opening of nominations
• must not have been a Member of Federal Parliament or of a state Parliament during the five years preceding the opening of nominations

Rationale for eligibility provisions...

The Nomination Process:

1.  A candidate for the Presidency of the Commonwealth of Australia must be nominated in writing by

• at least ten per cent of the members of Federal Parliament ("parliamentary nomination"), or
• at least one per cent of the persons enrolled to vote at Federal elections ("elector nomination")

2.  Nominations will close 28 days after being called. If

• less than two nominations have been received, or
• no "elector nominations" have been received,

    nominations will re-open for a further period of fourteen days.

Rationale for nominations provisions...

The Election Process:

1.  If the nomination process results in only one candidate, a joint sitting of Parliament will vote by secret ballot, with a two-thirds majority required for approval of the candidate.

2.  In the very unlikely event of rejection of the sole candidate, the nomination process would re-start, no more than one month after the sitting of Parliament. The rejected candidate's nomination would stand, subject to the right of withdrawal of the candidate or nominators.

3.  If there were more than one candidate, an election would be called, with the normal system of preferential voting being used to decide the identity of the President

Rationale for election provisions...

Tenure and Dismissal:

1.  The President should be elected for a single six-year term. However, the Parliament should have the power to extend this term by up to 50% (three years) by a three-quarters majority vote of both houses of Parliament, by secret ballot.

2.  Parliament will have the power to remove a President from office by a three-quarters majority vote of both houses of Parliament, by secret ballot. For such removal to be constitutionally valid, Parliament must

• appoint a caretaker President, who will be a former President or Governor-General if such a person is available, and
• set a date, no more than three months away, for the opening of nominations for election of a new President. The dismissed President, not having served a full term, will be eligible to offer himself or herself for nomination.

3.  In the case of a President who dies in office or resigns without notice, the Chief Justice of the High Court will automatically fill the role of President until the Parliament can meet to appoint a caretaker President and set a date for nominations as above.

Rationale for tenure provisions...

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Ross Garrad, 5 November 1997