Henry Parkes Oration: Emeritus Professor Judith Brett

Schedule

Mon Oct 24 2022 at 06:00 pm

Location

Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House | Canberra, CT

‘How good are Australian elections?’
Driven by radical young colonists like Henry Parkes, the Australian colonies were pioneers of democratic elections, adopting manhood suffrage and the secret ballot and establishing non-partisan electoral administrations. Australia’s tradition of majoritarian democracy continued into the twentieth century, with votes for women, and preferential and compulsory voting. In this oration, Professor Brett will outline the history of these achievements and consider some arguments for improvement.

When: 24th October
5:30pm for 6pm start
Where: Old Parliament House, Canberra
Entry via Queen Victoria Terrace

Judith Brett is emeritus professor of politics at La Trobe University. A former editor of Meanjin and columnist for The Age, she won the National Biography Award in 2018 for The Enigmatic Mr Deakin. She writes regularly for The Monthly and is the author of four Quarterly Essays: Relaxed and Comfortable, Exit Right, Fair Share and The Coal Curse.
She has written extensively on the history of the Liberal Party, including Robert Menzies' Forgotten People, and Australian Liberals and the Moral Middle Class, as well as a history of Australia’s electoral system, From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage. In 2021 she published a collection of her essays and articles, Doing Politics: Writing on Public Life.
The Henry Parkes Foundation is a charitable trust established in 1998 with the aim of promoting public understanding of Australia’s constitutional structures and political systems. The Orations are held each year around the anniversary of Parkes’ famous Tenterfield Address in October 1889, which played a key role in initiating the Federation movement.

Where is it happening?

Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, 18 King George Terrace, Parkes,Canberra,ACT,Australia

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Host or Publisher Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House

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