1. WELCOME TO THE 2016 PLEAWA SUNDOWNER By Mike Filer

2. PLEAWA Contacts PresidentMike Filermike.filer@wesley.wa.edu.au Vice PresidentAli Harrisaharris@stmarys.wa.edu.au SecretaryChris Allansonallanson.chris@trinity.wa.edu.au TreasurerRos Marshallrosslyn.marshall@gmail.com WebmasterSol Hanna

3. SYLLABUS CHANGES – EFFECTIVE 2016 FOR UNIT 3 AND UNIT 4

4. GUIDANCE  SCSA has released:  Year 12 Politics and Law ATAR syllabus  Politics and Law: ATAR - a summary of syllabus changes  This second document explicitly states a majority of the changes made from the previous 3AB syllabus and the new ATAR Unit 3 and Unit 4 syllabus, but not all.  Note: any text that appears in purple is commentary, suggestions and recommendations. I.E. It highlights the changes explicitly throughout the whole course.

5. ASSESSMENT CHANGES OVERVIEW  WEIGHTINGS for each assessment type are fixed  You must follow these new weightings  (including that school examinations are worth 40% of total school assessment weighting)  Requirement that school examinations must reflect the examination design brief

6. CONTENT CHANGES OVERVIEW  Minor changes have been made to the content in Unit 3 with the removal of methods of judicial interpretation (legalism and activism) under political and legal systems AND  Delete Loans Council  Delete s86 and s105  Minor changes have been made to the content in Unit 4 in regard to providing clarity:  on the role of committees in relation to the accountability of the Executive and public servants  on the accountability of the Governor-General and the Office of the Governor-General, adding the ‘Hollingworth affair’  around the protection of human rights to include a charter of rights with two existing examples in Australia.  Delete Royal Commissions and Government Inquiries  Delete ‘exercising of power’ from the ways in which Australia and one other country can both uphold and/or undermine democratic principles  Delete ‘democracy’ from Essential to the understanding of accountability and rights are the practices of governance  Delete ‘individual’ option from experience of a group study  In Unit 4, under Political and legal issues, the focus is now on the changing experience of a particular group with respect to their political and legal rights in Australia

7. UNIT 3

8. UNIT 3 – POLITICAL & LEGAL POWER THEN  roles and powers of the Governor General including Sections 61, 62, 63, 64, 68, 28 and 57 NOW  roles and powers of the Governor-General, including Sections 61, 62, 63, 64, 68, 28, 57, 72, and ‘the 1975 crisis ’  NEW INCLUSION s.72  Explicit mentioning of 1975 crisis added

9. UNIT 3 – POLITICAL & LEGAL POWER THEN  role and powers of the High Court of Australia including Sections 71, 73, 74, 75, 76  methods of judicial interpretation:  legalism and activism with reference to at least one common law decision and one constitutional decision. NOW  roles and powers of the High Court of Australia, including Sections 71, 72, 73, 75 and 76 with reference to at least one common law decision and at least one constitutional decision  REPLACES one e.g. activism common and constitutional  REPLACES one e.g. legalist common and constitutional  DELETED: judicial interpretation (legalism and activism)

10. UNIT 3 – POLITICAL & LEGAL POWER THEN federalism in Australia  constitutional powers of state and commonwealth parliaments including exclusive, concurrent and residual powers, Sections 51, 52, 86, 90, 107 and 109  financial powers of the commonwealth parliament including taxation power, Loans Council, tied or special purpose grants including Sections 51(ii), 86, 87, 90, 92, 96, 105A  change in the balance of power since federation, including increasing commonwealth power due to:  High Court decisions, external affairs power Section 51 (xxix), corporations power Section 51(xx) NOW  federalism in Australia with reference to  constitutional powers of State and Commonwealth parliaments, including exclusive, concurrent and residual powers, Sections 51, 52, 90, 107 and 109  DELETED: s.86  financial powers of the Commonwealth Parliament, including taxation power, tied or special purpose grants, including Sections 51(ii), 87, 90, 92 and 96  DELETED: loans council, s.86 AND s.105  change in the balance of power since federation, with reference to…  High Court of Australia constitutional interpretation, including external affairs power Section 51(xxix), corporations power Section 51(xx), and taxation powers Section 51(ii)  INSERTION ‘ TAXATION POWERS’  No mention of ‘section 51(ii);but includes

11. UNIT 3 – POLITICAL & LEGAL POWER THEN  methods of constitutional change:  referendums including Section 128  High Court decisions  referral of powers  unchallenged legislation NOW  formal and informal methods of constitutional change and their impact  referendums, including Section 128  High Court of Australia decisions  referral of powers  unchallenged legislation  INCLUSION

12. UNIT 3 – POLITICAL & LEGAL POWER THEN  at least one reform proposal to change the Commonwealth Constitution (Australia) such as the Republic; reference to indigenous Australians in the Commonwealth Constitution (Australia); the Senate including Sections 24, 53, 57; a Charter of Rights* NOW  at least one reform proposal to change the Commonwealth Constitution (Australia), such as  the move to become a republic  reference to Indigenous Australians in the Commonwealth Constitution (Australia)  recognition of local government in the Commonwealth Constitution (Australia)  MODIFICATION of suggested reform proposals

13. UNIT 4

14. UNIT 4 – ACCOUNTABILITY & RIGHTS THEN  Essential to the understanding of rights and governance are the practices of governance including democracy, participation, the rule of law, rights, open government, consensus, effectiveness, accountability, natural justice and equity. NOW  Essential to the understanding of accountability and rights are the practices of governance, including participation, the rule of law, human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural, open government, consensus, effectiveness, accountability, natural justice and equity.  RELOCATION OF TYPES OF RIGHTS = now overarching  DELETED democracy

15. UNIT 4 – ACCOUNTABILITY & RIGHTS THEN  the accountability of parliament  through elections to the House of Representatives and the Senate  through the committee system including the Privileges Committee  within the procedures and processes of parliament  through judicial review NOW  the accountability of the Commonwealth Parliament  through elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate  through the House of Representatives and Senate Privileges Committees  within the procedures and processes of the Parliament  through judicial review  Delete ‘committees’ and make specific to privileges in both houses

16. UNIT 4 – ACCOUNTABILITY & RIGHTS THEN  the accountability of the executive and public servants  through collective and individual ministerial responsibility  within parliament’s role including Senate Estimates, Standing Committees, Government Inquiries  through other methods of accountability including the Commonwealth Auditor General and Royal Commissions  through tribunals including the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT)  through judicial review NOW  the accountability of the Executive and public servants  through collective and individual ministerial responsibility  through Senate Estimates and at least one other committee of the Commonwealth Parliament  through the Commonwealth Auditor General and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT)  through judicial review  DELETED Royal commissions DELETED Government inquiries  IE. STANDING OR SELECT COMMITTEE (IN SENATE/HOR)

17. UNIT 4 – ACCOUNTABILITY & RIGHTS THEN  the accountability of the Governor General including ‘the 1975 crisis’ NOW  the extent of the accountability of the Governor- General and the Office of the Governor-General  through appointment  through removal  ‘the 1975 crisis’ and ‘the Hollingworth affair’  New OFFICE OF GG = NEW CONTENT?  New dot points to provide elaboration  Explicit addition of HOLLINGWORTH AFFAIR

18. http://www.hcourt.gov.au/cases/case_b47-2013

19. UNIT 4 – ACCOUNTABILITY & RIGHTS THEN  the accountability of the courts  through the appeals process  through parliamentary scrutiny and legislation  through transparent processes and public confidence  through the censure and removal of judges NOW  the accountability of the courts  through the appeals process  through parliamentary scrutiny and legislation  through transparent processes and public confidence  through the censure and removal of judges, including Section 72  EXPLICIT INCLUSION S72

20. UNIT 4 – ACCOUNTABILITY & RIGHTS THEN  the ways of protecting rights in Australia including constitutional, common law and statutory rights and in one other country NOW  the ways human rights are protected in Australia, including in the Constitution, common law, statutory rights, and charter of rights, such as the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Victoria) and the Human Rights Act 2004 (Australian Capital Territory )  Explicitly mentioned and assessable  the ways human rights are protected in one other country  Separated out – suggest country with at least TWO ways of protecting rights

21. UNIT 4 – ACCOUNTABILITY & RIGHTS THEN  the ways in which Australia and one other country can both uphold and/or undermine democratic principles with reference to:  representation  popular participation  the rule of law  judicial independence  natural justice  exercising of power NOW  the ways in which Australia and one other country can both uphold and/or undermine democratic principles, with reference to  political representation  popular participation  the rule of law  judicial independence  natural justice  DELETE “exercising of power”

22. THEN  the experience of one individual or group in the Australian political and legal system NOW  the changing experience of a particular group with respect to their political and legal rights in Australia.  NO INDIVIDUAL OPTION  RIGHTS made explicit  Emphasis of “changing”

23. CHANGES TO WACE EXAMINATIONS UNIT 3 AND UNIT 4

25. WHAT COULD THIS MEAN FOR EXAMINATIONS?  No more requirement for students to answer at least one question from each unit in Section 1 or Section 3. Simply answer 3 out of 4 short answers and 2 out of 4 essays.  There never was a requirement that Section 2 have a 3A and 3B section, though this was convention and practice.  The terms “assess” and “evaluate” have been removed from Section 1 questions leaving:  Questions can require the candidate to define, describe, identify, discuss, explain and/or compare.  It is hoped the convention and practice of the examination panel to ensure equal weighting of the units in all sections of the examination will continue, but this can not be guaranteed by the new structure.  It is possible that the writers could now blur some questions to utilise parts of Unit 3 & Unit 4 knowledge in the same short answer/source analysis question or within essays  It is possible that the writers could change the balance of Unit 3 and Unit 4 questions between the sections of the examination (I.E. more unit 3 questions in section 1, and more both sources on unit 4.. etc). This would be highly unorthodox and it would be expected that teachers would be informed well in advance (at least a year) of any changes like this.  Please contact SCSA for further clarification should you desire.

26. TEXTBOOK UPDATE FOR UNIT 3 AND UNIT 4

27. TEXTBOOK UPDATE  The text is written specifically for the new Unit 3 and Unit 4 syllabus  Activities within this are reflective of examination styled questions.  Writing and editing of the textbook is progressing well. We have currently completed Unit 3 chapters and are beginning work on Unit 4.  We are planning for release by the conclusion of 2016 in time for the 2017 academic year.

28. EVENTS 2016

29. EVENTS ALREADY CONFIRMED  Tuesday 10th May – JOHN BUTTON at 5pm-6.30pm in the SMAGS Lecture Theatre.  Saturday 10 th September – Year 12 WACE revision student seminar at Notre Dame University  HTAWA 3 September; GAWA 15 October; ETAWA yet to be determined