Ed Dermer is a member of the Parliament of Western Australia representing the North Metropolitan Region in the Legislative Council. After many years of living in the northern suburbs of Perth, Ed was first elected to represent the North Metropolitan Region in December 1996. He has continued in that role since.Ed is a member of the Australian Labor Party and the Government Whip in the Legislative Council. Ed Dermer explains his personal understanding of democracy with the following words.

“Democracy as government by Employment Contract”

A personal view from

What is Democracy?

Having served in the Western Australian parliament for what is now more than ten years, my mind occasionally turns to the nature and history of parliament as a democratic institution.

Contemplating what democracy is has lead me to this working definition. Democracy is a system of government in which governments can be changed by the free and peaceful exercise of the will of a majority of the adult citizens.

Democracy as an Employment Contract.

As a member of parliament in a democratic system, I regard the 394,000 electors of the North Metropolitan Region as my employers. I regard each four-year term of the Western Australian parliament as a four-year employment contract. At the end of each four-year employment contract my 394,000 employers have an opportunity to review my performance. My employers have the opportunity to decide whether they want me to continue my work or whether they would prefer to replace me with somebody else. My employers have this opportunity when they vote in a State election.

Political Parties in Democracy.

My employment contract with the electors of the North Metropolitan Region is complicated by the fact that I have chosen to be a member of a political party. Some of the electors consider my work as an individual member, many more electors consider the work of the Australian Labor Party team to which I belong, and many others focus on the work of our Party leader, the Premier Alan Carpenter. Many Western Australians decide how to vote by considering the merits of the leaders of the competing political parties.

Another important role for political parties in the Western Australian political system is when the parties choose whom to nominate as the party’s candidate. If a political party chooses its candidates wisely those candidates will add to the strength of that party. Similarly unwise choices will weaken a party.

Three Advantages of Democracy.

If democracy is a system of government in which governments can be changed by the free and peaceful exercise of the will of a majority of the adult citizens, then what are the important advantages to living in a democracy.

The first advantage to living in a democracy is having some power to decide who will govern you and what poliicies the government will implement. As one elector, your one vote may seem very small and the people and party that you choose will not always win the election. Your vote may be small, but it remains very important. In a democracy your vote should be no smaller than the vote of any other citizen.

The second advantage to living in a democracy is that a democratic change in government will be peaceful. This advantage is obvious because peaceful processes are always better for all concerned than violent processes.

The third advantage to living in a democracy is that a democratically elected government is more likely to be a better government. If a government knows that the citizens who employ that government will review its employment contract at the next election, that government will probably work harder and behave better.

Achieving and Maintaining Democracy.

Democratic government and the advantages that come with democratic government are not easy to achieve and maintain. Some of the most stable democratic systems found in different countries around the world have taken hundreds of years to develop. In other countries stable democratic systems have been established more recently.

The stability of a democratic system of government is very much enhanced by having a strong opposition in parliament. A parliamentary opposition has two very important responsibilities. The first responsibility of the opposition is to closely watch the government and hold the government accountable for its work. The second important responsibility of an opposition is to offer the citizens a realistic alternative that they may wish to choose at the next election.

Having strong, transparent and independent organisation to conduct the elections is also a central requirement for a democratic system. Fair and open conduct of elections is necessary for citizens, candidates and political parties to have confidence in their democratic system.

The role of parliamentary oppositions and the fair conduct of elections in democracy are important subjects and worthy of further consideration. I am hopeful of having an opportunity to write further on these matters at a later time.

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