Changing technologies, changing legislation

With the emergence of the electronic age, governments must adapt to suit the changing needs of the Australian population. With the development of national and global media, laws including defamation and censorship come under scrutiny. While it is fair to suggest that each state requires a representative body to regulate specific state needs, issues involving the majority of the Australian population should be confronted by the Federal government or by collaboration between state governments to create uniform legislation.

For example, if an article is published and distributed on a national scale, the author may have previously breached defamation laws in some of the eight jurisdictions, yet complied with these laws in the other jurisdictions. This creates complications as all authors of nationally published material must have vast knowledge of the different laws existing in the different jurisdictions. Furthermore, one could apply to have the case heard in the jurisdiction that would best suit their complaint.

However, it may not necessarily be ideal to relinquish certain powers to the Commonwealth government alone. Such authorizations may result in an abuse of power or outcomes that are not indicative of the preferences of the majority of Australians. Therefore, perhaps in some cases, state governments should work collaboratively to create uniform legislation that is in the best interest of the state and the nation.