Senate committees are one of the few bright spots in the battle to hold government to account
- Written by Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
It mightn’t sound much, but it had big consequences. Fifty years ago this week, the Senate voted to set up a system of committees to scrutinise government legislation, activity and spending.
As it has evolved, this network has given teeth to a parliament that in many other ways has declined, even atrophied over the decades.
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