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As at 1 July 2019, the composition of the Commonwealth Parliament was as follows - VCE - SSCE Legal Studies - Question 2 - 2019 - Paper 1
Question 2
As at 1 July 2019, the composition of the Commonwealth Parliament was as follows. | Gender | Age | Senate | | House of Representatives ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:As at 1 July 2019, the composition of the Commonwealth Parliament was as follows - VCE - SSCE Legal Studies - Question 2 - 2019 - Paper 1
Step 1
In your view, to what extent does the composition of the Commonwealth Parliament affect its ability to be representative in law-making?
Answer
The composition of the Commonwealth Parliament plays a crucial role in its ability to be representative in law-making. The data from the table indicates a significant gender imbalance in both the Senate and House of Representatives, with males holding a larger proportion of seats.
Specifically, as of July 2019, in the Senate, there are 39 males to 37 females, and in the House of Representatives, there are 105 males compared to 46 females. This disparity may lead to a lack of representation for women's perspectives and interests in law-making processes, which could result in legislation that does not fully address the needs of half the population.
Additionally, the age demographics show that a considerable number of representatives are over the age of 45, predominantly in both houses. This may affect the understanding of and responsiveness to issues that younger citizens face today, such as education, job security, or social justice, which are often priorities for younger demographics.
Thus, the demographic imbalances—both in terms of gender and age—suggest that the current composition of Parliament may hinder its representativeness. Law-making could benefit from a broader range of experiences and viewpoints that come from a more balanced composition, including younger members, women, and diverse demographic backgrounds.