I don't follow Australian politics as much as I should, but I recall that the Land of Oz recently had a referendum to address the issue with the aboriginals. This referendum failed.

While we can say that the referendum was democratically conducted, it tells me that Australia too can fall victim to a populist leader that will erode the formal and informal workings of a democracy.

In Canada, we have a demographic that would prefer a one-party state. While it can be democratically defeated, it is not small. The radical conservatives have gained political leverage. Right now, they seem content to earn their power through democratic means, but they see the movement to the south.