Each year the University of Sydney offers the undergraduate course Parliament and Democracy, presented by Professor Rodney Smith in conjunction with the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.

The students take a critical look at how well Australian parliaments carry out their representative, law-making and accountability functions and attend four sessions at Parliament House, in addition to sessions held at the University.

Yesterday’s session involved a facilitated panel discussion about the role of the crossbench in the Legislative Assembly in a minority government.

Students heard from independent and crossbench members including Jenny Leong, Member for Newtown, Roy Butler, Member for Barwon, Alex Greenwich, Member for Sydney, and myself.

It was wonderful to be part of the panel discussion, and I thank the students for their enthusiasm and interest.