Senate voting system needs reform

“The 2013 Senate election results, with some candidates succeeding despite receiving half a per cent or even less of first preferences, shows that our current Senate voting system needs reform,” FamilyVoice research officer Ros Phillips said today.

FamilyVoice is circulating a petition urging Coalition legal spokesman Senator George Brandis to require voters to indicate their own senate preference order on the ballot paper, either:
• by parties, above the line, or
• by candidates, below the line.

“Voters should be allowed to preference either above or below the line, but not both,” Mrs Phillips said.

“This system would suit voters who find allocating preference to large numbers of individual candidates too daunting, but would have no trouble allocating preferences to a much smaller number of party groups.

“It would eliminate the current complex party preference deals that may not represent the true wishes of those who vote for parties above the line.”

FamilyVoice’s submission calling for reform to strengthen Australia’s democracy can be found here (see section 5.3).
Mrs Roslyn Phillips, BSc DipEd National Research Officer FamilyVoice Australia: a Christian voice for family, faith and freedom Website: www.fava.org.au