If you know of any postgraduate students at a Queensland university who are interested in political science, then please pass on the details of the Australasian Study of Parliament Group – Queensland (ASPG-Q) essay prize:

ASPG-Q Parliamentary Scholarship Prize flyer.pdf

Here’s a note I was sent the other day by the Secretary of the Australasian Study of Parliament Group James Gilchrist regarding the prize:

We’re seeking entries for our prize for parliamentary scholarship, where the winner gets a $1,000 prize…The prize recognises outstanding research or analysis into the institution of parliament. All postgraduate students enrolled at any Queensland-based university can submit an assignment of up to 10,000 words on this theme. 

The assignment must have been written between April 2021 and the closing date of 3 October 2022. Course coordinators, lecturers and supervisors can also submit their students’ essays.

Potential essay topics which come to my mind include:

• whether Queensland should reinstate an upper house (see Qld Upper House discussion paper from the IPA); 
• whether the Queensland parliamentary committee system is working or needs fixing, particularly given its inability to prevent some cruel and excessive COVID-related regulations (see Gov’t says COVID “enduring emergency” – “temporary” powers will be in place longer than two years);
• whether Parliament is avoiding its responsibility for providing good government for the people of Queensland by delegating substantial powers to unelected bureaucrats such as the Chief Health Officer (see Qld CHO emergency powers extension bill submission); and
• the feasibility of introducing a citizens’ jury to provide whole-of-community perspectives on major policy issues (see Nicholas Gruen’s 2017 Mandarin article Detox democracy through representation by random selection). 

Please feel free to comment below. Alternatively, you can email comments, questions, suggestions, or hot tips to contact@queenslandeconomywatch.com. Also please check out my Economics Explored podcast, which has a new episode each week.