Darryn Jensen
Extract
If members of legislative assemblies are meant to be our representatives for the purposes of deliberating about whether legislative measures are the right measures in terms of the general good of the community, conscience votes are an essential element of the legislative process. Australian political institutions are a less than perfect embodiment of the deliberative view of the legislative process. The competing mandate view is deeply entrenched in the attitudes of the political class. Accordingly, the explicit designation of a vote as a conscience vote remains a rare event in Australian politics. In so far as members of legislative assemblies are free to vote according to their consciences, it is important for them to understand what a conscience vote ought not to be. . . .
Jensen D. Faith, conscience and legislation (Australia). University of Queensland Law Journal. 2008 Jan;27(2):85.