“Far from being the unrepresentative swill, it’s kind of democracy’s star in terms of accountability, providing diverse representation, representing the community,” said Mr Oquist, who was a long-time adviser to former Greens leader Bob Brown. “[But] it can’t play as good a role as it should because people don’t understand how it works.”
Loading
He argues for better education about the upper house’s role and sees the Senate’s large crossbench as important since it can draw a media focus on whether the government can pass legislation and lead to compromise.
“When the crossbench are involved in those big debates, it does sometimes allow the community into them more as well because you’ve got a more diverse range of senators with a diverse range of connections,” Mr Oquist said.
Senator Ryan has previously defended the Senate from what he dubbed “proposals to nobble” it and described the need for negotiation and compromise as an important and defining feature of Australian politics.
