For over a century, Queensland has operated without a bicameral parliamentary system, ever since the Legislative Council was abolished in 1922. The original upper house was not an elected body, and its disbandment came despite a 1917 referendum where 60.6% of voters supported its retention. Since ~2012, there have been calls for the restoration of the Legislative Council (links below). However, these have been unsuccessful.

 

The absence of an upper house leaves Queensland without the comprehensive checks and balances that other Australian states enjoy. Reintroducing the Legislative Council could enhance democratic representation and provide an additional layer of scrutiny over legislative processes, much like other states' upper houses and the federal Senate. Though the current Legislative Assembly appoints various parliamentary committees and uses other mechanisms that theoretically provide these, restoring the upper house would bolster the parliament's ability to achieve this while bringing it in line with most of Australia.

Therefore, it is imperative that the Queensland Parliament reopens discussions on the potential reestablishment of a Legislative Council. A renewed parliamentary debate would pave the way for needed public discourse and, if supported, should culminate in a referendum for the people of Queensland to have their say.

Should the public express support for this restoration, it is suggested that the new Legislative Council be designed to reflect modern democratic principles. An upper house of 20-30 seats could employ proportional voting, ensuring fair representation for diverse political opinions, and the current size of the lower house could be adjusted accordingly. Being smaller than it's NSW and Victorian counterparts (42 and 40 seats respectively) would also minimise the associated cost.

This petition is a call to honour the result of the 1917 referendum and to reinstate demands for nuanced democratic reform. It is time for Queensland to consider a legislative structure that echoes both its historical roots and contemporary values. Please sign this petition to support bringing back the Legislative Council with a fair and representative framework for all Queenslanders.

Old petition links:

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-the-Assembly/Petitions/Petition-Details?id=2199#:~:text=TO:%20The%20Honourable%20the%20Speaker,the%20Electoral%20Commission%20of%20Queensland​

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-the-Assembly/Petitions/Petition-Details?id=2215​

https://www.change.org/p/queensland-parliament-review-the-consitution-of-queensland-to-reinstate-a-small-upper-house-in-queensland​

https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/reinstate-the-queensland-legislative-council-now.html​

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-the-Assembly/Petitions/Petition-Details?id=3438

Relevant videos: https://youtu.be/2gkhrAG2H50?feature=shared​

https://youtu.be/wLs0IOGhnLU?feature=shared​

https://youtu.be/DEMndU49FlU?feature=shared​

https://youtu.be/lhTvPVjFkaA?feature=shared

Articles that provide further reasoning in favour: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/29/the-sudden-removal-of-childrens-human-rights-proves-yet-again-why-queensland-needs-an-upper-house​

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/minor-parties-unite-in-calls-for-queensland-upper-house-20151213-glmebj.html