PREMIER'S FOREWARD

Premier of New South Wales

THE NEW SOUTH WALES CONSTITUTION

Many people ask when questioned why do we have a New South Wales Constitution when we have an Australian Constitution, and what does it have to do with me anyway?

Well it takes a whole website to answer that question … and here it is.

A constitution is the framework for a democratic society, setting out the rules we have to play by to ensure our political system works fairly.

When the Australian nation was created at Federation in 1901, the States still needed their own constitutions to regulate their political systems. Our State Constitution in NSW was created in 1902, though our democratic system dates back to 1856 when Britain first gave parliamentary government to NSW and Victoria.

Our constitution in NSW has given rise to a fascinating political history, including big stories like the rise and fall of my predecessor, Jack Lang, the changing role of the Governor as we moved from being a British colony to an independent nation, and the independence of the judiciary in the face of public scrutiny.

These themes and many more are explored on this fascinating website.

I commend the Department of Education and Training team, Judy Adnum and Annie Stevens and their panel of experts who have created this fantastic resource.

I'm sure you will enjoy learning about the NSW Constitution from this impressive site.

Bob Carr
Premier