However, if a decision is made to seek constitutional change, then the terms of any proposal should take into account the party nature of Australia's political system. The constitutional provision would have to ensure that political parties cannot effectively operate unless they conform to the requirement that they preselection women and men in such away that they have an equal opportunity of being elected, and that women and men are equally able to vote for and be represented by a woman as a man member. We need also to look at the Senate and state upper houses and their election systems, to ensure that they, equally with lower houses, operate so as to ensure equal numbers of women and men. There is no good reason for political parties to be exempt from equal opportunity and sex discrimination legislation. There can be no real equality so long as the fundamental basis of government is steeped with discriminatory policies and practices.
Political parties are the basis of the Australian political system.
So long as political parties exist in the way they do at present, women will be waiting a long time for equal parliamentary representation. As noted, political parties wield enormous power within our political, parliamentary and governmental system. They gain material benefits, including direct and indirect financial assistance and support. Whatever the current state of the law, we need to ensure that any changes to the Constitution or introduction of a 'Bill of Rights' or Equal Rights Amendment explicitly provides for equal parliamentary representation and non-discrimination on grounds of sex by and within the major political parties. We need also to take steps immediately to challenge the discriminatory practices and processes of the major political parities which effectively prevent all voters from having an equal choice to vote for a woman as a men, and which prevent women from standing as political candidates in equal numbers and on the same terms as male candidates - with equally real chances of being elected.