The balance of power in Australia has faced many challenges since federalism. Covid -19 has shed a light on specific challenges faced by countries in which the powers of government are divided between federal, state, and local levels. In Australia, it has been argued that the current federal model allowed for central coordination and regional differentiation, which enabled a remarkably robust response to curbing the spread of the virus (despite some policy and administrative failures). In particular, federalism has been praised for "prioritizing local knowledge in policy formulation, maximizing political responsiveness, and cabining policy failures". On the other hand, some commentators have been more critical, highlighting "confusion and costs due to policy non-uniformity and delay in policy coordination involving multiple actors". At the heart of this disagreement lies the broader problem of whether the Australian federal system works in a "healthy" way. 

Drawing on the Territorial Senators case (western Australia v Commonweath). Is Australian federalism in need of structural reform? Why, or why not?

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The Territorial Senators case also known as the Western Australia v Commonwealth case was a landmark case in Australian constitutional law that addres... View the full answer