"Wot! No parties in Parliament!"

Contents Back cover

FOREWORD

I am delighted to have been asked to write a foreword to Basil Smith's 'A Chariot of Fire'. Political and constitutional commentary in Australia are all too often the exclusive preserve of constitutional lawyers professional political scientists and politicians. Rarely does an Australian citizen outside this increasingly isolated group take the trouble to think deeply about the bases of our governmental system.

This little book is a genuine contribution to political debate by an Australian who has spent a great deal of time thinking about his country's future. It is a product of considerable agonizing over issues which affect us all, the decline of parliamentary democracy, whether Australia should remain a monarchy and the future of the party system. It is in the great tradition of the nineteenth century pamphlet, whereby concerned citizens were not reliant upon media approval to reach an audience, but sought out the public themselves.

Whether the reader agrees with Mr. Smith's views or not, we can only applaud his willingness to forcibly articulate them and add to our country's constitutional debate.

Gregory Craven,
Reader in Law. University of Melbourne.
(Later Professor, Notre Dame University, Perth)

Copyright (c) by Basil Smith, 1992.

Jerusalem

And did those feet in ancient time

Walk upon England's mountains green?

And was the holy Lamb of God

On England's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the Countenance Divine

Shine forth upon our clouded hills?

And was Jerusalem builded here

Among these dark Satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold,

Bring me my arrows of desire,

Bring me my spear! O clouds unfold,

Bring me my Chariot of Fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,

Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand,

Till we have built Jerusalem,

In England's green and pleasant land.

The Circles Tell the Story!

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Smith, Basil, 1922- .

A Chariot of Fire: Secret Ballots in Parliament.

Bibliography

ISBN 0 646 10778X.

1. Australia. Parliament - Voting.

2. Australia. Parliament - Reform.

3. Ballot - Australia.

4. Australia - Politics and Government.

I. Title.

328.940775

Copyright (c) by Basil Smith.

1992