Recall Elections

In other jurisdictions 'Recall' is a term used to describe a process whereby the electorate can petition to trigger a vote on the suitability of an existing elected representative to continue in office. In those jurisdictions where it operates, Recall is seen as an important, directly democratic, tool for the electorate to remove from office those elected representatives seen to be ineffective.  In the recent debate in NSW, the idea of a Recall election has taken a different form. Basically, it is not concerned with the Recall of an individual Member of Parliament. Rather, the suggestion is that a Recall petition can be used to trigger an early State election, thereby presenting the electorate with the opportunity to remove an ineffective or unpopular government. This argument has developed in the context of four year fixed term Parliaments, under which an early election can only be called under very limited circumstances.

Advice on legislation or legal policy issues contained in this paper is provided for use in parliamentary debate and for related parliamentary purposes. This paper is not professional legal opinion.