The Absentee Dissenters: A Tale of Two Reports

In July 2019, the Senate referred an inquiry to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee. The inquiry into ‘Nationhood, National Identity and Democracy’ was a recognition of a growing sense that democracy was under threat. Yet in February 2021, the inquiry resulted in two reports – the main response of the committee and a dissenting report from two Senators who had joined the panel only two weeks before it was due to report its findings. This is a tale of two reports and the lamentable state of bipartisanship.