Page 392 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 19 February 1991

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .


MR DUBY: There is nothing unparliamentary about it at all, Mr Speaker; about saying that someone distorts the truth.

MR SPEAKER: You inferred that she always does it by saying "in her usual manner".

MR DUBY: I withdraw that connotation. What I will say is that in her speeches today Ms Follett did, for example, make a straight-out mistake in what she claimed to be the facts.

Mr Berry: Explain that to us.

MR DUBY: She was commenting, for example, that the single member electorate system is the most commonly used method of electoral arrangements within the Commonwealth of Australia.

Mr Connolly: It certainly is.

MR DUBY: "It certainly is", says Mr Connolly. Such is not the case. Proportional representation is the system which is used in most polities within Australia. Add up the States, my boy, and you will find that not all of them use single member electorates. For example, Tasmania and the ACT do not, whereas the proportional representation system as used in all Senate elections in every State and Territory of this country - as well as, for example, the PR system that is based in Tasmania - far outweighs the single member electorate system which Ms Follett maintains is "the most commonly used method of electing people in this country". As I say, there is a prime example. She also maintains - - -

Mr Berry: Give us the figures. How many?

MR DUBY: I will give you the figures.

Mr Collaery: She does not know the difference between d'Hondt and pure d'Hondt either.

MR DUBY: And PR, and d'Hondt, and Senate systems.

Mr Berry: Come on, where are they? You were going to give us the figures.

Mr Collaery: Just read something. Listen to this.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MR DUBY: The seven States - - -

Mr Berry: No, I want the figures.

MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Berry!


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .